Prompt: First Dating Experiences

I enjoyed answering the questions last week, so I thought I would take part again this week. Read all about it here:

https://lssattitudeofgratitude.wordpress.com/2022/07/28/throwback-thursday-49-first-dating-experiences/

This week’s prompt is: Your First Dating Experiences

Here are the questions, along with my answers:

On your very first date, did you do the asking, or were you asked out?

I was actually asked out. I actually blogged about my first date once and you can read all about it here:

My First Date

Were you typically stressed out before a first date? Did things seem to be easier the more you dated the same person?

I would say that I usually was stressed out before a first date. I think you just naturally want it to go well. The stress level is higher is you don’t really know the person. It would surely be easier if you had more dates with the same person. I believe that if you know the person, the date will be easy. When I asked my wife out on our first “date,” we had known each other for a while, so it was fairly comfortable.

What did you do to prepare for the date? Did you wear new clothes, or special outfits?

Well, you are obviously trying to impress on a first date. I don’t know that I went out and bought new clothes, but I certainly dressed nice. It also depended on where the date was. Dinner at a nice restaurant requires better dress than a trip to the movies.

How did you meet those first dates? Were your dates with friends of a family member, or friends of a friend?

My first dates were usually gals from school. After I graduated, I had a friend or two suggest taking one of their friends out. I once dated a radio listener who came up with her friend to drop off cookies or something. Her friend liked me, but I wound up asking her instead. One gal I took on a date I met at a mutual friends wedding. Many of those dates never led to additional dates.

Did you have a curfew on those early dates? Did you typically arrive home on time or were you constantly breaking curfew?

When I was in school, yes. I believe it was 11:00pm. My folks were pretty understanding and flexible, but I always made sure that my date was home when they were supposed to be. I don’t know that I was always late, and if I was it was only by a few minutes.

Did your parents insist on meeting whomever you dated?

I don’t know that they insisted, but if there was more than one date, I brought my dates to meet my folks. My very first date picked me up at my house and I think my folks were so excited that I was going out on a date that they embarrassed me by asking her a gazillion questions.

Where did you usually go when on a date? (movies, concerts, picnics, etc.)

Usually for a first date it was dinner and maybe a movie.

Did the boy/man always pay for the date or did you go Dutch treat?

I have been on plenty of Dutch treat dates, but I want to say that I paid for my date most of the time. I remember my dad asking if I had enough money to pay.

Were you typically the talker or the listener on a date?

I think both, but as a radio guy, talking came very naturally to me! I probably talked a little bit more.

What did you do if the date clearly wasn’t going well? (feign a headache, ask to go home, end the date early, etc.)

This made me laugh because I have had dates feign a headache, ask to go home and end the date early! Seriously, I only had a few dates where I felt that things were not going well. I am sure I finished the date and was just grateful that it was over.

A connection from the past to the present, if applicable. How long did you date your current partner before marriage?

I really don’t know that I can put a time to it. We were friends that became more than friends and then got married. I don’t think that either one of us didn’t feel right about it. We were in love and we got married. We were probably friends two to three years before getting married.

Bonus Question: Care to share a disasters first date??????

I don’t know that any of the first “bad” dates could qualify as a true “disaster.”

I would love to see YOUR answers to these questions.

My First Date

I tend not to use daily writing prompts, as many of them I find silly or just stupid. However, every once in a while, one will come in the email that makes me go “I haven’t written about that” or “That might be fun to write about.” Today, the prompt was “Do you remember your first date?”

My first date happened when I was a sophomore. It was the first year that I was in marching band. I wasn’t the one who asked, it was actually a girl who asked me out! A senior!! This, in itself, was pretty mind blowing to me, but it didn’t blow my mind at first … because I thought she was joking!!

Let me say that I never went to dances in junior high school. I suppose if I had a steady girlfriend, I may have went to a dance, but I didn’t.

In high school we had two bands. One was the varsity band, which was made up of all freshman (there were a lot of us) and we all knew each other from being in junior high band. By the time I got to concert band in 10th grade, there were plenty of upper classmen that I hadn’t met yet. I met many of them for the first time when we gathered for Band Camp in August.

Homecoming always happened in October, and I guess it was sometime in late September that I was in the band room after class and one of the French Horn players walked by me and said “So, Keith, you’re taking me to Homecoming, right?!” I remember answering “Oh, sure” or something like that. I kinda blew it off and kept walking. Who in the world would want to go to a dance with me??!!

If memory serves me correctly, she asked me one or two more times after that and I again, chuckled, said yes in a joking way and blew it off. She must have figured out that I didn’t know she was serious and the other French Horn player came over to me one day and said, “You do know that she is 100% serious, right?!” THAT blew my mind!

I could not even imagine that anyone would want to go to a dance with me. Hell, I had never danced with a girl before in my life! My mind was racing with all kinds of things. “What do I do on a first date?” “What do I wear to a dance?” “What if I can’t dance?” You know, typical high school questions….

Once I was told she was serious, I think I asked her – just to be sure! She laughed at me and said, “If I wasn’t, I wouldn’t have asked you!” So now I have a date! I came home and told my folks. I remember my dad saying I needed to wear a nice tie. He had to tie it, because I certainly had no idea how to tie one! My mom said I needed to get a corsage (“What is a corsage?”) for her. I think they thought it was cool that I was going to be going out ….. on a date …… with a girl!

I didn’t have a car, so I am sure we went with a friend. They picked me up at my house and my date was already in the car. I remember my folks with their camera, snapping pictures (which have been lost somewhere, sadly). Once we were able to break away from the paparazzi, we were off to the dance. I remember walking in and feeling out of place, but my date quickly made me feel better by making jokes and making me laugh.

My first dance? I don’t remember much about it, as I was kind of spaced out. I sort of remember the slow song (probably a Madonna song) starting and my date asking me to dance. I told her I had never danced before and she pulled me out anyway. Butterflies?! Boy, did I have butterflies!!!! So there I was, both hands on her back, swaying back and forth to the song. I remember later dancing to another slow song and her laying her head on my shoulder. More butterflies.

You’d think I would have a better recollection of such a big moment in a teen’s life. I wish I did. Outside of those two dances, the rest of the dance is kind of a blur to me. For what it is worth, it has been over 30 years since my first date. What I DO remember about that night is actually very embarrassing.

Our Homecoming happened all in one day. We were up early to be at the Pancake Breakfast. Then we headed to the band room to prepare for the Homecoming parade at 9 or 10. After that we got an hour break to eat lunch and then head to the football game. Kickoff was like 1pm or so. We were there early for the pregame show and then stayed through the whole game, which ended about 4 or 5. The dance would follow that evening in the gym at 8. So it was a long day.

After the dance, my date and I went with the others who drove us to Chi-Chi’s. This would be a very popular “after dance” or “after concert” place to eat. The dance had probably ended at about 11pm and then we all went out to dinner. I was usually in bed by 10pm. So here we are at dinner and I am literally fighting to keep my eyes open. I know I probably put my head down at some point. I was a light weight. I couldn’t hang with the big boys and girls! I probably dozed in the car on the way home, too. It was pretty embarrassing. I know the others got quite a laugh. I was a terrible date for her.

I’m sure one of the others may read this and correct any misinformation or add to the story, but this is what I remember. It must not have been THAT bad, as I remain friends with her to this day.