My First Crush/1972

Mike Corcoran was the first man I ever truly had a crush on. I was 7 years old, I don’t want to write “only” because when I was 7 I felt capable of really caring about Mike. He was my reading teacher in the 2nd grade. He must have been in his late 20’s or early 30’s. But I remember his brown wavy hair and his brown mustache. I used to misbehave, and annoy him so he would pay attention to me when we were in our little group of six or seven students. He used to tell me he would paddle me. I only smiled my big toothy grin, “sure.”

I didn’t think about the consequences, momma didn’t want to hear from the office. They used to paddle students back then but momma never gave permission for the principal to.

We had a bond, Mike and I because he never told on me or sent me to the office. My childish heart believed he really cared about me.

The only advance he made towards me was putting his arm around me to take me to the nurse when my nose bled. I used to have quite a lot of nose bleeds back then. But this was the only nose bleed I was to have in Mike’s company.

When he had his arm around me, I melted into his arm like a piece of chocolate on a hot summer day. When you’re a kid, love is exaggerated. “I loved him.” as deeply as a 7- year old child could.