In my rather passing acquaintance with physics, I do remember potential vs kinetic energy.  Some time during my stint at Anthony Wayne Jr. High, I probably saw a film strip or super 8 movie featuring a train or roller coaster.  (Yes,  I’m old enough to remember those films with the undulating narration and black wavy lines…) 

Some deep voiced  narrator probably commented, “An ascending roller coaster is an example of potential or stored energy.  As the roller coaster reaches the apex of the ascent and starts its descent, the energy is kinetic or active.”

Now, I’m not much of a math/science person.  Probably a left vs right brain thing. I doubled up on foreign languages to avoid calculus or AP Chem.  So, like in high school when I used to apply algebraic concepts to figure out the discounted price on a fabulous pair of shoes, I’ve been thinking about the similarities between physics and romance.

Of course, there’s the rather obvious roller coaster anticipation of new love.  But, I’m not going there just now.  I’ve been reflecting about my own lifelong experiences with unrequited crushes and dreams about what could be.

I can remember my very first real crush.  (Any similarities to people, living or dead, is entirely coincidential and all names have been changed to protect the innocent!)  A sandy-haired blue-eyed boy sat next to me in second grade religious school.  I’m guessing the only words I exchanged with him were, “Thank you for the paper!”  It was more of a eyelash batting and coy smiles sort of relationship.  He moved to Florida soon after but our innocent flirtation essentially set the tone for decades to come which has not always boded well for my romantic life!

In the elementary through high school years, I essentially had two major crushes, lasting long enough to be considered a common law (unrequited) marriage or perhaps infatuations though that term seems so restraining order stalkerish a la Glenn Close in “Fatal Attraction.” ( I can assure you, no rabbits or other animals were harmed in the making of this blog.)  Essentially, my love life was confined to “potential” romance – lots of butterflies,  exchanged glances, and chatting game plans with friends, usually on my round white “bagel” phone in the days before AIM and texts. 

I spent lots of time thinking about what it would be like to date one of these two crushes which, let’s face it, was unlikely to happen since I was terrified to talk to either one of them beyond the most brief of exchanges.  As a writer, I used my vivid imagination to come up with various dialogue and scenes which would throw us together.  But, it all remained on the page. 

Thankfully,  the days of open mouth, insert heart have long passed. Very rarely if ever as adults do we get attractions as intense or heady as those preadolescent and teenaged versions.  Must be the combo of high school hormones and Love’s Baby Soft.  Now, when I meet someone with insta-chemistry, I can flirt and banter with the best of them. (I still have a tendency to “write out” pages of scenes and dialogue –occupational hazard which can lead to disappointment before the credits!)

At my recent high school reunion,  I noticed one of my two major childhood crushes by the sign in table.  The fourth grade version of myself was nowhere to be seen as we had a friendly hug and the longest conversations we’d had in the years I’d admired him from across the room. 

No, we didn’t ride off into the sunset or anything like that.  He’s happily married with two kids.  I’m divorced and living on the opposite coast.   Yet, the experience was sort of surreal and got me thinking.

Essentially, there are two kinds of romances.  Potential and kinetic.   When potential romances never gather enough momentum, they rest inert.   There are romances which start with less momentum but somehow gather speed down the hill. 

But,  then there’s the intersection where the two meet which may be rare or only exist in Nora Ephron movies or in classics shown on TCM. 

I’ll keep waiting…