When I was in Kindergarten I was a “tom boy” as they would’ve called it back then.
The girls were boring. Dresses were itchy. Boys were more fun to play with at recess. I didn’t want to talk about dolls or makeup I wanted to split worms in half and nominate someone to kill the bee and chase each other around.
We were 6 and boys thought girls had cooties. So I invented a game called “kissy-kissy”. Where I’d yell Kissy-Kissy, chase the boys, they’d scream and run like hell. We had fun. It was innocent. I never caught anyone, nor did I want to. The teachers thought of course I must be abused, banned the game, and called home to make sure nothing of the sort was happening. And so our game ended.
There was a boy – Zack Seeley – who one day took me aside on the playground. And he asked me to kiss him. We were sitting against the ledge of the school building, and he was to my right. And I did – lightly, on the cheek. And then we went back to playing. Nothing else occurred.
So my question is, if a 6 year old boy can understand consent, why can’t a 19 year old Wharton man?
Zack, wherever you are, 30 plus years later, I hope you are well. And I am sorry I did not attend your birthday party – my parents wouldn’t let me be friends with boys. I couldn’t go to yours – or to Josh’s.
Laughs and Lobotomies 