Nothing Ventured - Nothing Gained

"The first time that I saw you, dear, we both were wearing swimsuits...I was pushin' twelve years old and you were pushin' ten... And, bad as I'd been smitten - (I could not recall my name for nearly twenty seconds) - I had no idea I'd been! "Smitten that is! Blown away! Your tightly braided pigtails, whippin' around, chocolate brown, were dripping on your shoulders, As you kept doing cannon-balls with me discretely watching, perched atop the tallest of the shoreline's many boulders. I saw you late that evening strolling slowly down the beach, glancing back from time to time, confirming that the waves Were, in fact, erasing every trace of where you'd walked, fixing, as they always do, the flaws the water paves. A couple mornings later I was shocked to realize that I'd, in fact, unwittingly, been thoroughly beguiled By someone less than ten years old...even worse...a girl...and understanding, unlike me, this girl was but a child, I approached my mother, asking, "Mom, can guys my age fall in love with unknown girls for how they look alone?" "Depends on who it is," she said.."it often works out well when guys stick out their necks to meet a gal they hadn't known, "Especially when the guy is young. I've seen you watching Shelly. She's nice, and very pretty, so you'd better make your play! I've also seen her smiling back - it's obvious she likes you - and I suggest it's time you get to know her...wouldn't ya' say?" Those were Mother's 'words of wisdom'! Mom was really wise. And two days later, knowing well - by hangin' around the dock - I'd eventually see you, which, of course - we know I did - and once I'd found the gumption to address you from my rock - I inquired...'Hey, Shelley...how's the water?' 'Member that? You turned around and sweetly smiled...'It's very nice,' you said. 'Your cannon-balls are awesome,' I continued. 'Member that? For which I got a dirty look and a really harsh - 'Drop dead!' "I figured you were razzing me! I knew that you were there...and as for making snide remarks - you very often did! Up until that morning I'd been wondering - 'what's his problem?' - guessing you were merely someone's super dorky kid! "I'll bet I stuck my tongue out at you 50 times that day, making sure you knew that you were really bugging me -- 'MEMBER THAT?" "Yes - I do," then taking up her hand - "but growing up together, as I'm certain you'll agree, "Is how, and why, we fell in love - and what has made it last! We've shared a zillion happy times - and dried each others' tears. I was shy and you, my dear, were tomboy through and through, yet here we are, together, three days shy of 50 years! "I'm convinced the two of us were meant to find each other - bound to one day benefit from what seemed - preordained - And what we've known for several decades verifies, for me, that fairly famous saying - 'nothing ventured...nothing gained'!"