A Reflection on the Kiss

I'd like to pause here and get a little sappy and possibly medical, so my readers who cannot tolerate this should stop reading this post right now.

A good kiss is always nice, but a really great kiss is a totally different ballgame. Why is that and why does it feel so damn good?

According to Helen Fisher on WebMD: "The receptors on the lips are incredible...I've heard hookers say they would rather copulate with somebody than kiss them because the intensity of kissing somebody is so meaningful. There's tremendous intimacy. ... Even the genitals do not have the sensitivity that the lips have."

Wowsers. First of all, I think that's the first time I've ever used the word "genitals" in my blog. Secondly, that isn't the first time I've heard mention that kissing is a more intimate action than sex, and not just in the Pretty Woman hooker world. I have guy friends that will sleep with girls but think kissing them would be weird because it's that much more serious than sex.

Oh and that wonderful weak-in-the-knees dizzy feeling after a kiss? Kissing prompts the brain to release dopamine and norepinephrine, which spur on feelings of giddiness, euphoria, lust, attachment, and sensations similar to the ones you experience when in love.

Why am I looking up biological facts on kissing in the middle of the night? I have been fortunate enough to have a few fantastic, memorable first kisses in my life. Off of the top of my head, I can recall four. Some women say they can tell if a guy is "the one" from that very first kiss. While I find this to be a load of bullshit, nor do I believe in "the one," I cannot deny that after those first kisses, I knew that there was a special spark and that guy was going to be important in my life in some way.

And without setting any expectations or getting carried away, about two hours ago I just had memorable first kiss number five. Thus, now I am trying to rationalize why this one, brief kiss could mean so much to me.

More details on the guy later, but I will leave you with an excerpt from my in-the-works novel:

There are first kisses and then there are first kisses. There are times when there is so much chemistry and lust that when you kiss, you just think to yourself, “My god, why haven’t we been doing this my entire life?” Needless to say, this was one of those.