Oh god. I remember mine as if it were yesterday.....
In choir in high school one day, all of us were sitting on our "spots" on the rounded risers we would stand on to sing (those who have ever seen a choir know what I am talking about....the half circle with the 3 levels at increasing elevation). We were merely sitting there killing time, because our choir director had been called out of the room for something and we were left to entertain ourselves until she returned. Indeed.
Before I proceed I should explain that in my youth I had a rather unusual reaction to being tickled, and it was as predictable as the changing seasons. Whenever I was sitting, and someone came up behind me and tickled me, I would bounce twice and fall on the floor. NEVER FAIL. Trust me, this was tested literally HUNDREDS of times, by numerous friends, during about a 7 year stretch of time! It was always bounce, bounce, splat.
I should also explain that among the students in the room at that moment, was my fantasy future husband....the boy I had the BIGGEST crush on in the whole world at the time. I mean totally twitter-pated, wrote his name in my books, dreamt about him every night, blushed at the mere sight of him, and turned to goo each time he talked to me type of crush.
So we're sitting there talking amongst ourselves (well, everyone else was....I was busy STARING at the man of my dreams in pure lust). I was so preoccupied in my daydreaming that I did not hear the conversation taking part behind me. Had I tuned in, I would have heard my friend Teresa, who was sitting directly behind me on the next riser up, telling another girl in the class, Carrie, who was sitting right next to her, about this funny little quirk I had in reaction to being tickled. And I would have been able to get off the riser and move away to save myself from the inevitable embarassment I was about to receive.
I'm totally lost in my own little world, planning my future with this boy right down to the color draperies we will have in our living room, when BLAMMO!! Two hands full force in the ribcage from behind. I squealed at the top of my lungs like a damn chimpanzee, bounced off my riser onto the lowest one in front of me, bounced off THAT riser and hit the floor, where from the sheer force of my reaction and surprise I somehow managed to slide halfway across, about 7 feet into the middle of the room, before coming to a stop, flat on my back. The eyes of the ENTIRE room were on me, including, you guessed it, my knight in shining armor. Who, it bears mentioning, was sitting there gape-jawed and bug-eyed over what I had just done. As all of this is transpiring, I hear my big mouthed friend Teresa, blare out at the top of her voice so the whole room could hear her: "I TOLD you!! If you come up behind her and tickle her, she'll bounce twice and fall on the floor! Now do you believe me?" At this time, I look over at the stud muffin of my dreams, to see that he has rolled over onto his side, and doubled over in laughter upon realizing WHY I shot 7 feet across the room and wiped out on my back.
Good lord, my face is red, sitting here right now as I type this, just thinking back and remembering that event! I have no doubts that had my friend not embarassed me like that in front of him and destroyed all hopes I had of our future together with that one swift motion, I would be married to him and living my fantasy life today.
THANKS A LOT, TERESA!!
Mimi
😀