Sixty years to the day of the most memorable kiss of my life, the girl who bestowed that kiss had contacted me for the first time since way back then.
Sixty years!
Geraldine McFadden, now known as Gerrie Menasce, contacted me by sending a message over my cell phone. She had tried to get in touch with me since her daughter alerted her to a blog post I wrote about us sharing that unforgettable kiss at 12 years of age in the Brewerytown section of Philadelphia in 1961. (I had written that story 11 years ago, publishing it on Dec. 1, 2009.)
Gerrie had lived some 10 miles from my home and was visiting a mutual friend who attended the same gym class as Gerrie. I wanted so much to get together with her but at such a young age, I could neither drive to see her nor figure out how to use the telephone book to call her family to speak to her.
I never saw her again and always wondered what happened to her.
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An accomplished gymnast, I learned that Gerrie eventually opened her own studio when she was older and at one point had some 15 people working for her establishment. She taught both gymnastics and dance and she and her husband of 52 years had lived and once owned a home in Spain.
Gerrie had tried to locate me recently by first contacting my nephew, Rocky Contos, who lives in California. Unable to reach him, she then contacted my adopted son’s second cousin in Cleveland, OH.
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She finally reached my son, Nicholas, who sent me the message that led to reunion of two kids that shared some beautiful moments before turning into teenagers, young adults, and . . . well let’s not go any further.
We have exchanged messages over the past several days and I look forward to learning more about her adventures. She is in the process of writing her autobiography and I can’t wait to read it.
It just goes to show, you never know when an old (young) friend may hook up with you no matter how many years may go by!
(For a look at the blog post I wrote about our first contact, please see: “Loves First Kiss Lasts Forevermore!”
Contoveros 
The following are comments on my Facebook page:
Lisa Baxter Horwitz
Social media brings people together again and again; that’s so great!
Michael J Contos
Ain’t it the truth. Never used Messenger much but have constant contact with Gerrie now!
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Patty Kline Capaldo
What a wonderful story, Michael J Contos! I went back and read about that first kiss. You tell it in such a sweet and tender way.
Michael J Contos
The odd thing about it is that Gerrie doesn’t remember the “French Kiss.”
She only remembers playing spin-the-bottle.
Oh well. At this point, I’ll just take whatever memories I can get!
Patty Kline Capaldo
Memories are funny that way.
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Regina Daubaras Bilynsky
Love this
Michael J Contos
Thanks. It came as one helluva surprise to hear from the girl so many years later.
Almost mystical.
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Terri Kiral
So sweet. You’re such a romantic.
Michael J Contos
Still crazy after all these years! Paul Simon got that right a long time ago!
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This is a lovely story and experience.. I’m so glad you have reconnected 💗.
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Yeah, me too. I never dreamed after all of these years that I would hear from Gerrie. You just never know and it shows we can stay open to so many surprises in life!
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♥️It is true.♥️
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[…] Kids who shared a kiss reunite years later […]
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I feel honored to have an article of mine “reblogged.” It was a joy to write this post after hearing from the girl who now turned into an accomplished woman after only a few years. (Sixty years. But who’s counting?)
Thank you!
Michael J Contos writing as Contoveros!
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