Sophomore year in high school, I met him accidentally because he was in the car with my friend and her boyfriend when they stopped by. I had never met him but was standing under the mistletoe hanging in my hallway and sort of pointed up at it in what passed for charming at 15 years old. So he did what any spontaneous red blooded teenage boy would do and dipped me back for a kiss. A real kiss. A great kiss.
Boom! That's how we met.
I ended up liking him more than he liked me. I give him tremendous credit though, because he told me no lies, he told me exactly where he stood, he did nothing to lead me on. I knew adult men who weren't as mature or as kind as he was back when he was a teenager.
We went on a few dates, and laughed a lot. I believe we went to see Gandhi, primarily because it was a long movie which meant we could make out for about 3 hours. I still can't tell you what happened in the movie, what, Gandhi sat down for a long time and then England went home? Don't know. I do know that after the movie he purchased onion rings and a black coffee and that wasn't as much fun to kiss. We talked about books and music and practical jokes. He was one of the coolest people I had ever met, at that point in my life (parochial school really limits your social circle).
This song is my song for him, and it's because I misunderstood the lyrics. For years I was under the impression the first verse of this song was "So true, funny how it seems, always in time, but never mine for keeps. Head over heels when toe to toe, this is the sound of my soul." Which made sense to me because he was great! A great friend, a great kisser, but never mine for keeps.
The actual line is "Always in time, but never in line for dreams." This would not apply to my little thing for him. We didn't date for long, a few weeks maybe? I'm sure I had hurt feelings at one point because I was an oversensitive romantic weenie who lived to pine, so at some point I know I played my "cassingle" of "True" a few times in a row and cried. I might have written a poem. And then I could be his friend.
Happily, he was someone I would run into again a few times in my life in different stages - we had mutual friends in college. He's my friend on facebook. He's still an amazing human being and I'm proud to count him among one of my favorite people that I've known in my life. He is still one of the coolest people I know, a go-to guy for good books or good music. He's a good husband to his wife and a great father, and I respect the hell out of him. Still a straightforward stand-up guy.
And when I hear this song, I think of him. I also think of innocent little 15 year old me, the girl who thought the biggest tragedy in love is someone who wouldn't be mine for keeps, OR stand in line for dreams, I guess. I think of the me that wouldn't have known what to do with a committed boyfriend if I had one at that point anyway; the me that was more comfortable pining for what I couldn't have rather than dealing with what I could have; the me that swooned to English bands with falsetto voices and slicked back hair.
"True" hasn't aged very well, it's a very obviously 80's song which is why it always ends up on "The Best of the 80's!!" compilations or playlists and on many soundtracks. I believe it makes all of us who heard this song first at a school dance suddenly remember our innocence.
Boom! That's how we met.
I ended up liking him more than he liked me. I give him tremendous credit though, because he told me no lies, he told me exactly where he stood, he did nothing to lead me on. I knew adult men who weren't as mature or as kind as he was back when he was a teenager.
We went on a few dates, and laughed a lot. I believe we went to see Gandhi, primarily because it was a long movie which meant we could make out for about 3 hours. I still can't tell you what happened in the movie, what, Gandhi sat down for a long time and then England went home? Don't know. I do know that after the movie he purchased onion rings and a black coffee and that wasn't as much fun to kiss. We talked about books and music and practical jokes. He was one of the coolest people I had ever met, at that point in my life (parochial school really limits your social circle).
This song is my song for him, and it's because I misunderstood the lyrics. For years I was under the impression the first verse of this song was "So true, funny how it seems, always in time, but never mine for keeps. Head over heels when toe to toe, this is the sound of my soul." Which made sense to me because he was great! A great friend, a great kisser, but never mine for keeps.
The actual line is "Always in time, but never in line for dreams." This would not apply to my little thing for him. We didn't date for long, a few weeks maybe? I'm sure I had hurt feelings at one point because I was an oversensitive romantic weenie who lived to pine, so at some point I know I played my "cassingle" of "True" a few times in a row and cried. I might have written a poem. And then I could be his friend.
Happily, he was someone I would run into again a few times in my life in different stages - we had mutual friends in college. He's my friend on facebook. He's still an amazing human being and I'm proud to count him among one of my favorite people that I've known in my life. He is still one of the coolest people I know, a go-to guy for good books or good music. He's a good husband to his wife and a great father, and I respect the hell out of him. Still a straightforward stand-up guy.
And when I hear this song, I think of him. I also think of innocent little 15 year old me, the girl who thought the biggest tragedy in love is someone who wouldn't be mine for keeps, OR stand in line for dreams, I guess. I think of the me that wouldn't have known what to do with a committed boyfriend if I had one at that point anyway; the me that was more comfortable pining for what I couldn't have rather than dealing with what I could have; the me that swooned to English bands with falsetto voices and slicked back hair.
"True" hasn't aged very well, it's a very obviously 80's song which is why it always ends up on "The Best of the 80's!!" compilations or playlists and on many soundtracks. I believe it makes all of us who heard this song first at a school dance suddenly remember our innocence.
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