I talked before about the enjoyable times I had with my first girlfriend. Now let’s talk about the down side while I was going out with Malee (not her real name).

It mostly happened because we were too much in love. For example, getting angry or jealous too quickly, thinking too much, not being careful when we were kissing or holding hands in public, etc. We broke up quite a few times but we always got back together again.

The problems started when Malee finished primary 6. She came to study in the same secondary school as me. We were really really close because we could see each other all day. We often got caught for not going to classes. We also got caught a few times while we were walking around the market holding hands. A teacher wrote our names down and the next morning he hit us with a long stick. It was very painful. But that didn’t really stop us. Nothing can really stop the power of love. If anything, the more people tried to keep us apart the closer we became.

I am curious, can’t teachers or adults remember when they were young? Can’t they remember how they felt when they were in love? I understand that their generation couldn‘t do so much. My mum once told me that she only met my dad once a week or less than that. And when they met, they couldn’t meet for a long time.

They just sat down together to talk or tease each other, nothing else. She said that teenagers in my generation do too much. When she was my age, she never went out alone with my dad. She also told me that she never kissed a boy until she was 18. I told her that one of my friends has a baby already and he is only 16, the same age as me.

I think the new Thai generation is more open to the world. It is because we have more technology. We can see other teenagers around the world doing things like holding hands, kissing, or cuddling in public. They even do it at school! We see that very often in American movies and that makes us want to do the same. Myself, I think it’s better to do those things in public than in a private place like a hotel. At least in public they won’t go further than what you see. But for sure, in private, they will go further.

Now to get back to the story about my first girlfriend. We had been hanging out for nearly two years when on my birthday, Malee rang me and said that she was done with me. She didn’t want to hang out with me anymore. I was really sad and upset. I cried and cried and asked her why? She said that she was bored with me. She said that she loved me but she did not trust me and she couldn’t make herself trust me. Also, she now had someone else who she could trust more than me. I was really upset. It took me along time to get over her.

If I could go back in time, I wouldn’t try to go too fast up the levels. Also, I wouldn’t be too close with her. I would be more open to her, talk to her about everything. And I would tell her before we started to hang out that if she finds someone else that she loves more than me, she can tell me. And I would not be angry with her so we wouldn’t have any stupid arguments or be jealous.

When I have children I will tell them about my "puppy love" story. I will tell them that don’t go too fast, don’t love too much when you are so young and listen to other people when you are in love. Love really can make you blind.