Her name was Joy. I was 5 years old and she was only 4 when I deflowered her.

Me and another kid were playing in a small wooded area behind her house. The other boy was a bit older. He said that if I could get some matches he'd get some hot dogs and marshmallows and we'd roast them. I got the matches but he didn't get the food. Somehow between the two of us we got a fire started that picked up with the wind setting the woods on fire.

Joy had a little flower growing at the back of her yard. The fire spread and took the flower. They had to call the fire department. But what really got me was sweet little Joy crying because her flower burned. Still breaks my heart when I think about it.

Third grade and haven't gotten over it yet. (the rejection, that is) Her bright blue eyes under those brunette bangs were captivating. It was in Chicago, 1956. We were in the same class and how I managed to absorb anything presented in front of the class is a mystery.

She was all I could think about and talk about. My father suggested asking her to the movies some Saturday morning. All the kids flocked to Saturday morning movies in those days. Cartoons might have been on TV, but in that neighborhood not that many of us had them.

Dad instructed me on being a gentleman (that kind of stuck too). "You don't meet a young lady someplace. A gentleman meets her parents and picks her up at her home. You escort her all the way home and on time." This sage advice led to a nice impression. He also imparted the importance of holding doors and walking on the 'street side' of the sidewalk and paying for everything.

Her mother answered the door; said Rhea was almost ready. Her father shook hands and said we should come right home after the movies. Rhea Chandler was her name. She emerged from her room with a pink rabbit skin jacket; can't remember anything else she wore except for those stunning blue eyes and a heart melting smile. Other third graders spotted us together and the teasing at school from the other (jealous) boys ensued.

Then one afternoon came the crushing news. Rhea said that she thought she 'liked' Randy more than me, because he was Jewish. Back then I didn't know quite what Jewish was, save my friend Ralph leaving class once a week early for 'tutoring'. Many years later I converted to Judaism but it was too late for Rhea!

About a year or so later, back at the movies on another Saturday, I was smitten again by another captivating female and it transformed my life. At a movie called 'Boy on a Dolphin' the first sight of Sophia Loren on the big screen caused a complete loss of interest in theretofore important boyhood activities like baseball, marbles etc. From that point on every female was automatically evaluated on the basis of how close she was to Sophia.

Still hasn't changed much. I was at least saved the humiliation of actually knowiing Sophia because I'm certain that she would have dumped me for Carlo because HE was Italian.

I was in second grade and attending catechism at another school for my First Communion. The first day I was there I saw the most beautiful seven year old girl - until then I thought girls were pests. I had no idea anyone could be so pretty. She sat behind me, to my left and two people back. There was a TV mounted on the wall and I noticed that if I looked at the blank screen I could see her reflection. Even her reflection on the screen of a black and white TV was Heaven for me. But, of course, she didn't even know I existed. I never knew her name. But to this day I can still see her reflection on that TV screen in my mind. And, by the way, in her Communion dress, she was the loveliest girl who ever took Communion.

My son, at age 6 and the neighbo's 5 year old. They were like an old married couple, finishing each other's sentences, making plans, helping each other with chores. It was one of the cutest things I have ever seen.

For holding hands. Now isn't that silly?

I did. I had a boyfriend named Tommy. We moved and I was so sad I would never see him again. But as fate does turns, I went back to that school in the 5th grade. My heart broke. He wasn't that loving little 6 yr old anymore. But I found others. LOL

I was five when I had my first crush. I thought she had cute feet. This is before I found out girls had all those other parts.

Yes I did, Patricia Rhiordan, we were 6 and even sat together in class, sadly at the end of the year, our parents and our teacher decided we should not be in the same class the following year.
She tracked me down 24 years later just to say "HI", walked into my office in the city and introduced herself, just as pretty as ever.

Memory is a funny thing. I remember the feeling, her name... and nothing about her. I was in 6th grade and her name was Amy. There were three of us who liked her and I remember writing her a love letter.

In a crushing twist of fate, that letter fell into other, nefarious hands... The result was a catastrophe of terrible proportions, and it ending with Amy moving away (At least that is my recollection... more likely they moved for other reasons, lol)

Basically the three of us who liked Amy all got screwed over by our antics and all lost.

Strangely, this has carried over into my life as a reluctance to compete with other men over a woman's affections.

And full disclosure, I just realized that some part of my courting behavior stems from this sole event, 38 years after it happened.

Sometimes meta cognition is a mean bastard.

1st grade. Debbie Chavez had a button nose. I was a goner.

I remember my first crush, back when I was 13 or 14. She was a just a big pudgy, but I thought she looked sexy. I liked her face, with her high cheekbones.

Years later, I bumped into her on the college campus and we talked for a few minutes. She looked even better then, slimmer and her face clear. I haven't seen her since, but I think about her from time to time.

We have video of me as 3 years old playing with my family friend. I stood up and announce that I was going to marry him someday. I loved that boy for 24 years. Heck I probably still love him, but he never loved me back. We had a small fling for about a year but I learned at the same time he was seeing someone else and decided she was the one. I think that he will always be in my heart, but I deserve better. If I can love the wrong man THAT much, just imagine how much I can love the right one

I've never been in love.

I do remember, we swapped school pictures. She was taller than me and somehow the mother of one of my playing mates figure it out the moment we saw each other out of school. It was embarrassing to me if not both of us. Didn't stop me from swapping school photos. But the first two... were taller than me. And I wasn't short, those girls just grew ahead of us.

Women don't "fall in love," unless they are heavily male in traits, which I am, but my only relationships were female-motivated-I.e., what can this relationship do for ME? If he wasn't educated, making good money, fit, lean, intellectual, outdoorsy, and nice looking, he didn't even register in my mind as a romantic possibility.

But my male side (I'm partially transmale) fell in love with a transwoman friend of mine from high school, about four years ago. Until that time, I thought the whole "falling in love" thing was a fabricated 20th century thing to sell merchandise, and that love songs were just blather designed to sucker women into sex, but when it happened to me, I suddenly realized it was a REAL thing.

And horrifying. I suddenly understood why males, not females, experience this, as it made me sappy, besotted, seeing her as perfect, willing to overlook all flapping red flags, heedless of danger. Luckily, she was very female in behavior and soon began ordering me around..where to work, what house to buy, what furniture to buy, etc., quickly disenchanting me.

Since I'd always played the female role in previous relationships, and been in charge of all that, I was NOT amused.

I think everyone has. I remember a girl in my neighborhood growing up name Chloe. I totally adored her when I was around 6.

Good question. My first love was with a girl I helped recover from bullying. When we first met, she was shy, timid and had no self confidence. Over time I hepled her mature and belive in herself.
During that time I fell in love with her, but once the felt that she could stand on her own she broke it off. I was bitter at first, but later came to understand that I was the last crutch.
We still stay in touch and she is doin great. Got a scholarship to college for playing the oboe and working hard for her degree to become a video game composer.
I’m just glad she is happy.

They spoiled your fun. This Tommy and I would meet at recess and spend it together, but funny how a few years changes a guy?

Yes! I was in the first grade! She (mmbrady) was blonde and wore glasses. Sadly, she moved away after 2 years.

I was in the first grade. We had some assignment we were supposed to do. This girl needed a pen so I lent her one of mine and she gave me this look which prompted me to say, "It doesn't mean we have to get married." I liked her.

I have never experienced romantic feelings for another person.

I waa in kindergarten, some blonde boy had a crush on me whenever i wore my party dresss to school. It was sweet

4th grade...She was a gorgeous blonde with short, straight hair.

Yes and fond memories as we both liked each other, a lot.
He was also my 1st date at 10 years old LOL
Knowing I was a horse freak his parents, who were well to do, came and picked me up so we could all go to the charity horse show.
Some time after that I was invited to their house. I remember being so sick with butterflies.
Then he stuck me on his little motorcycle by myself with no real instruction and I landed in the bushes. That sort of took the shine off my crush as my ego was bruised. LOL

FF we moved across town and we lost touch. Then ran into each other again as teenagers as we were both in FFA. He had a pig I had a lamb. We started talking again and instead of gently timing his involvement tried to deep dive and it spooked me, unfortunately, not realizing that's how boys are when they're into you.
I never tried to look him up after that. He's just a very fond memory.

His name was Perry. I was 8 years old and in the 3rd grade. He was 10, and in the 5th grade. I saw him in the schoolyard at recess and immediately fell in love. He had black hair, big brown eyes, and he was the most gorgeous human being I'd ever seen. He didn't know I existed. I wrote his name over and over in my coloring books. I would sigh his name - "Perrrrry, Perrrrrry, Perrrry." I lived for recess time, when I would catch a glimpse of him. After about a month of adoring him, I wrote "I Love Perry" on my arm, gathered up all my courage and walked over to him, not even caring (or even noticing) that he was playing ball with a group of boys. I showed him the "I Love Perry" on my arm. Oh, the utter disgust and scorn on his face! Oh, the laughter of his friends! I was incredibly hurt, and slunk away, crying. But I got over it by the end of the school day.
I found Perry on the Web some 50 years later. He'd grown up to be a noted (and totally ordinary-looking) psychiatrist. I couldn't resist - I emailed him and told him the above anecdote. He had no memory of it, but he apologized profusely for any trauma he may have caused me. I reassured him that I was absolutely fine.