FIRST DATE - NOT!

Monday, I wrote about the redheaded boy I fell in love with way back in fourth grade. Many years later, when I was in highschool, I almost got to go on a date with that guy....

Steve (the redhead) was a big fan of John Denver. When John Denver scheduled a performance two-hours away in Memphis as part of a national concert tour, Steve immediately went out and bought tickets. Four tickets. One for himself, one for a friend, and tickets for his older sister and brother, who were also fans.

As the day of the concert approached, Steve's sister and brother found they had other plans and would not be able to make the trip to Memphis. Hoping to find "takers" for the two extra tickets, Steve thought of my cousin Ginny and my older sister Alice, who were also fans. Did they want to join an outing to Memphis for dinner and a concert?

Ginny said "Yes," but my sister....

Alice already had a commitment for that evening and couldn't make the concert. However, she also knew that I'd had a monster crush on Mr. Redhead since elementary school. "Sure, I'll take a ticket," Alice told Steve over the phone. "I won't be able to go to the concert, but I know someone who would love to go!"

Plans were made for everyone to meet in the Troy grocery store parking lot after school the afternoon of the concert; the four concert-goers would ride together from there to Memphis. When Alice handed me the ticket and explained her match-making endeavors, you can bet I was a bundle of nervous anticipation!

Well, maybe you can imagine, too, the mortification I felt when Steve met Ginny and me in the Food-Rite parking lot...with his date sitting next to him in the car. In her excitement over the opportunity of arranging a quasi "date" for me and Steve, my older sister hadn't even considered the possibility he might already have a date for himself!

I still get tickled sometimes thinking about that horribly awkward NOT first date. I wasn't disappointed at the odd turn of events for too long - I was in good company, the concert was awesome, and a road-trip to Memphis was a big deal for this homebound country girl, even if my big crush had his date along! And as it turned out....

...although the John Denver concert was not Steve's and my first date, is also wasn't our last.

Okay, Readers, any funny stories of first dates to share?