Debra Hamlin was my first kiss. I was going to a summer camp at the time, Camp Wigwam, and we met at a social earlier in the summer. I think she was going to camp Walden. Or maybe it was the year before. I can't remember. I do remember the first time I asked her to dance. I was nervous as all hell and had circled the room a couple of times. Some kids stopped me on one of my rotations and commented on it. I guess I got offended or something, because on the next slow song I walked up and asked her to dance, just asked. It was easy after I said it. We danced through the song and had some stiff dialogue, then broke apart until the next song. I guess we wound up talking more and more. I began to look forward to dances where she would be there. I was still nervous around her, and probably still would be 8 years later.
Before one dance I got talked to by some of the older guys. They told me I had to kiss her. I had to, they said. It was their advice (badgering) that got me to dance with her, so I took it again. We were dancing closely and the room was dark, something slow was playing. I kissed her cheek. It was soft and smooth. I was rewarded by a kiss on my cheek. She had pleasantly warm and moist lips, if I remember correctly.
I was very happy.
Later that evening the camp photographer came around. She sat Debra down on the porch and had me lean in and kiss her for a picture. Again just on the cheek. It was rough, I tell you. Marge, the photographer, told all the kids to leave us alone after the photo was taken. When the slide came up at the end of the year I think my mom cried a little. All I could think about was this gap between my lips and Debra's cheek. It taunted me for some reason.
At the end of the evening we kissed lip to lip. Just before she had to get in her van and go away. I also gave her a bear hug, which I guess more people saw.

I just looked her up tonight. Is that weird? I guess she's studying primates or religion or something, judging from my google search.
She's still as cute as I remember, if less freckled.