First Love Remembered - Herry The Herp's Unplanned Trip Down Memory Lane - Part I

[HerryTheHerp]

Hi everyone,

 

Herry's been AWOL this past month for a lot of reasons. This is his heart. He's unavailable for comment right now so I'm going to post this on his behalf. He's busy writing for his clients and I'm taking care of the personal matters right now so he can focus on work without breaking down.

 

Herry's had a hard month. Arguably the hardest of his life. In the midst of letting go of a woman he was falling in love with but would never love him, an unexpected international move, plus dealing with herpes, well, out of the blue, his first love whom he'd almost married but let go 16 years ago decided to reconnect with him. They had a true love story that went south long ago and as much as he tried, well, he never really recovered. He was almost there and then he got herpes, but that comes later in the story.

 

This is the first part of that story. You might want to grab a tissue before you start reading. More parts to come, they're just taking he and I a little time to process together. Don't worry about him, I'm a courageous little heart and I got him covered right now. He's gonna be just fine.

 

Sincerely, Herry's heart

 

---

 

Two decades have gone by since a youthful glance and a smile evolved into a passionate relationship that changed two lives forever. Even with the passage of time, it’s a moment that is as alive and vibrant to me as if it had taken place. Alas, the reflection in the mirror staring back at me this morning reminds me just how long ago it really was.

 

It was a blustery August day. School had just started back up and everyone was eagerly catching up after the long summer break. We talked about the places we’d gone, what we’d done, and the people we’d met along the way. The conversations were light and as much as we didn’t like to admit it, it felt good to be back in school and in the presence of our best friends. At just 16 years old, I had no idea that my life was about to change forever that day.

 

During a break in the conversation my eyes peered a few tables away where she caught my eye. Like a lightning bolt igniting the darkened sky I was stunned and captivated for what seemed like an eternity. She was sitting with her friends, laughing and talking, catching up as I was doing with mine. I remember thinking she was the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen, and no matter how hard I tried to break the trance I was falling into, I simply couldn’t pull my eyes away.

As time stood still and then ceased to exist, my friends tried desperately to bring my attention back to our conversation, but I was already deep in thought.

 

I wanted to meet her, but didn’t know how. A shy teenager, it wasn’t like me to just walk up to a girl and introduce myself. What would I say? What would she say? I played it out in my mind a hundred times as the minutes passed slowly by. Then, as if by fate, I noticed she was sitting with a friend of mine and I saw a window of opportunity open. I decided then and there that I had to take the chance. I had to discover why my heart felt the way it did and what it was imploring me to do.

 

I could feel my heart beating faster and faster as I stood up from my chair and made my way over to her table. She sat maybe 20 feet away, and to this day I swear it was the longest walk of my life. With every anxious step my mind kept telling me to turn around and sit back down; yet, my heart knew what it wanted and had made it very clear that whatever the outcome, I was going to do this. It was the first time in my life when I’d let my heart take over the reins of my life and I’d never been more nervous.

 

Arriving at the table, I said hello to my friend, made some small talk, and then when the awkward moment couldn’t be delayed any longer, my heart took over and I introduced myself. Her name was Jessica and I was instantly smitten by her beauty and the glimmer in her eyes. I can’t for the life of me remember what she was wearing, but I can tell you how exactly how her hair looked as she brushed it to the side. I can tell you how the Navy perfume she was wearing wafted through the hot August air and set my heart on fire. I can tell you how it felt to look into her eyes and see my future. I remember how amazing it felt as she handed me her phone number, and how for the rest of the day I grasped that note tightly in my hand anxiously anticipating the moment when I would make that call. She didn’t know it then, but I’d fallen hopelessly in love with her even before she told me her name.

 

It’s true what they say; a man never forgets the moment when he falls in love for the first time. It’s a memory that embeds itself deep inside the heart and no matter how hard he tries, it can never be dislodged. A sight, a sound, a smell, an email, can all open the doors to that memory when we least expect it. I can’t pretend to know why things turned out the way they did, but I can tell you that both true love, love at first sight, and love eternal do exist, and that it I’m glad I listened to my heart that day to discover them. I’ll probably never know what it feels like to feel the way I did that day again, but to have experienced it once is more than any man deserves.

 

Part 1: http://herpeslife.com/herpes-forum/discussion/2982/first-love-remembered-herry-the-herps-unplanned-trip-down-memory-lane-part-i/p1

 

Part 2: http://herpeslife.com/herpes-forum/discussion/2995/first-love-remembered-herry-the-herps-unplanned-trip-down-memory-lane-part-ii/p1

 

Part 3: http://herpeslife.com/herpes-forum/discussion/3000/first-love-remembered-herry-the-herps-unplanned-trip-down-memory-lane-part-iii/p1

[Amillionthings]

Love this Herry....youre a talented writer. Keep the story coming. Nice to read something that isnt all about H too. Hope I can feel all of that one day...and get accepted. X

[WCSDancer2010]

<3 you Herry... AND your Heart :)

[cc123]

:) part 2 please!

[HerryTheHerp]

My pleasure. It's an interesting journey I'm on right now. My heart and mind are going in so many directions that I'm just trying to keep up.