10 firsts you may remember fondly — or not so fondly

Yay for 1st…

Over the course of our lives we all have many firsts…some good, some bad and some we remember the rest of our lives.

Here is a list of my top ten firsts:

1. First Friend – Mine was my friend Sue from first grade. We stayed friends for a very long time until we somehow lost touch. We did reconnect but sadly she has passed away now. I had many neighborhood friends growing up and we played from first thing in the morning until dark every day. I miss those kids and I miss those times. I also had great friends in high school and have recently reconnected with them which has been the most amazing thing ever. Then there were the special friends that I met through jobs I had. There is nothing better than friends that “get” you. But you always remember your first friend.
2. First time you shaved – for girls it was our legs and I guess boys/young men their face. I remember it being such a big deal. My Mom would not let me do it. Every time I asked, she would tell me not yet. I was embarrassed around my friends who were already shaving theirs and also a bit envious. Somehow a simple thing like shaving your legs was a very “huge” thing to a teenager. When I finally was allowed to do it I cut my leg so bad right on the shin bone that I have a scar there until this very day.
3. First time you drove a car – I couldn’t wait to get my permit and take my test and have my drivers license. I took my test in Dad’s brand new Chevy Nova. I think it made me feel so empowered to be behind the wheel and be doing something on my own at the young age of 16. I loved that car so much and when Dad finally decided to get a new one he gave me the Nova. I was in heaven.
4. First job – My first job was at a local department store downtown in the cosmetics department. I was 16 and worked I think 4 hours a week. I was making 50 cents an hour if that, but it sure did make me feel good to get that pay check. I have had many jobs in my life but I don’t think any compare to that first one.
5. First time traveling out of your city or state – I remember going to the beach in Atlantic City, NJ when I was very young. My parents took me every year and it felt like it took forever to get there from PA where I lived. As a child, everything in our young lives was more extreme. Sitting in the car waiting to reach the beach and the fun seemed like an eternity. But it was definitely worth the wait and so exciting. Especially the very first time we went.
6. First time you bought something with your own money – I remember this one like it was yesterday. I wanted a pair of Capezio shoes. My Mom wouldn’t let me have them because they were too expensive. She finally said if I could get the money I could have a pair. So I babysat and earned the money to pay for them. Best money I ever spent and on my favorite pair of shoes that I ever owned.
7. First place of your own – Whether the first place you had was an apartment or a house, it really didn’t matter, it was yours. There is something about having your own place that truly makes you feel like an adult. Its your place, no one is going to walk in unless you want them to be there. You can dance in the nude to your favorite songs and play the music as loud as you want. Disclaimer: I may or may not have done this at one time.
8. First kiss – I had my very first kiss in first grade. His name was Richard, he was my “boyfriend” from 1st thru 5th grade. The very first kiss is different from all the others. I was young and innocent and it was very sweet. My first real “grownup” kiss was by mistake, at least on my part. I had practiced kissing the mirror for months and thought I was ready but didn’t have a boyfriend at the time. An older neighborhood boy, he was maybe 3 years older than me, offered to take me home from school, for some reason unknown to me at the time he made a detour and took me on a back road. I was confused and asked him why we were there and he said for this. He then planted a big kiss on my lips. I was surprised, excited and scared all at the same time. He told me I was a good kisser. I asked him to take me home immediately and never road in the car alone with him again. After that I did secretly feel like I was ready to really kiss someone I cared about and didn’t worry that I wouldn’t be doing it wrong anymore. So there was that. The first kiss with my boyfriend who would become my husband was truly the best one of all. When you kiss someone you love for the first time, it is really the “first” kiss. And no mater what happens after that, it is the one you remember.
9. Which brings me to this one, First love – is the love of the boy in 1st grade any different than the love of the boy who would become the father of my children? I don’t know. I have had several men who I have loved in my life and each one was special in their own way and I remember each one of the times I first fell in love with them. It may be different for me also since I am not with any of them now. They are etched in my heart and memories and I love them all. I love them, the person they were when we fell in love.
10. And finally this one. Sex – My first time was in the back seat of my boyfriend’s — eventual husband’s father’s 1950 Plymouth. It was not something I really wanted to do at that time, but I kept getting the “if you really loved me” thing. And so I caved. It was of course, less than wonderful and I thought to myself, “this is what all the fuss is about?” I didn’t think I wanted to do THAT again. But of course once you do, there is no going back. At least in my case.

Doing something for the “first time” fills us with a sense of empowerment and an equal excitement. Holding your newborn child in your arms for the first time, seeing one of your kids graduate from college and watching your first grandchild being born are some others that have brought me these same feelings of excitement and joy. I have had a few new “first times” lately and I am definitely planning on a few more. In my opinion, you are never to old to have a “first time.”  I leave you as always with a question and a quote.

When was the last time you had a “first time?” Or tell me what your favorite “first time” was.

“There’s a first time for everything.” ~ Greg Owen