With or Without Tom

When I was in 7th grade my friend gave me a tape of UF. I became a fan. The next year I dated a boy who really liked U2. I think we may have even gone to see Rattle and Hum together. I'm not sure. What I am sure of is this:

We broke up (of course). We were at a dance. WOWY came on. His best friend said I should dance with him, even though we'd broken up. We danced. I still remember that dance. The next song was fast and we didn't move, we just stood there hugging, the way two 8th graders can, thinking this is the love of their lives. We never really got back together but I still liked him for a long time after that.

When I was a sophomore, I went to boarding school and came home for summers and still held a torch for this guy who had long since moved on. After high school graduation, I never really saw him again but I got a letter from him once when I was living in San Francisco.

Last night, through a strange series of events, I found him on facebook. He accepted my friend request. I am a very happily married woman but I still got a little twinge in my gut when I saw his picture and that song always makes me think of that 8th grade dance.

If you see me at the show, when they play that song, you'll know what I'm thinking about.