CONFESS!!!! Who was your crush when you were 6 years old?

[pink-o]

41. The little boy in first grade, Mark Stagnaro.

I used to chase him around the school, and he'd run away from me screaming "Cooties!" First time I ever learned what that meant.

By the time our class went into 4th grade, Mark was held back, so I lost touch with him for a long time. Then, we met up in high school, and I realized why they didn't let him advance--he was totally not linear, he was visual and artistic and lived in a dream world, feet barely touching the ground. We ended up in choir together, when we were both 16, and he sang like Church bells. Just a beautiful baritone.

We became friends, went out on a few friendly dates (no more cooties) but I always knew he wouldn't get serious about me. Later on, I left our little suburban hamlet for London England, and he ran away to New York to become a star on Broadway. We lost touch, but I always thought about him. And by my mid-twenties, I understood that he was gay--like so many of my subsequent crushes!!! I guess I had a thing for artistic, visual men when I was growing up.

So life went on. Then my BFF who kept vowing she would call Mark on his birthday, finally made good on her promise about 15 years ago. She called his father at his old childhood home, and Mark's dad broke down bawling. "My son died of AIDS two years ago," he told my friend. "I've been trying to get through today. Please tell his old friends not to call here anymore."

Devastating. And a cautionary tale: life is too short, don't wait to contact those you love and have lost touch with. My first crush was a talented, sweet soul, who had a big open heart and loved me despite my cooties. I still miss him to this day.