DG (the dear!) recently posted some ‘firsts’ in his life. I thought I would borrow the MEME and expand it a bit. Play along if you wish; I would be curious to read your take on it.
My earliest memory
I recall being in a crib and it was night. My nightlight “Mr. Blue” was shining making everything blue. Father came home and sat by me, talking. I don’t recall what he was saying. I think he was telling me about his day or relating a bed time story. I heard freighter signals out on Lake St. Clair. This is a very masculine yet tender memory for me. I hope it isn’t a false memory.
First airline flight
I believe it was a family vacation to Philadelphia. I remember I was very excited. The airline stewardess gave me fabulous travel gifts. This may have been the last time I flew with excitement.
First time ‘doing it”
In the spirit of President Clinton, this depends how you define ‘doing it’. I suppose I was 12 years old or so. It was a frightful bungle.
First surgery
Ingrown toenail, removed circa. 1988-89. It is still not right.
First car
A burgundy thing, the make I can’t recall. It was a Ford product. It overheated the first time I drove it. I should have bough German.
First death of someone close
1976 the death of my grandfather. This marks childhood’s end for me.
First drink
Sometime as a child I was allowed to sip the Thanksgiving Day Riesling wine the grownups were having with their meal. I thought it horribly astringent. Now I find Riesling too sweet.
First regret
Going from junior to senior high school I did not stay with the French Horn.
First time rolling down grass hills
Oh! I was about six; it was behind the Methodist church in Grosse Pointe Farms. Jolly good fun!
First pet
Hans I, the miniature Schnauzer. There were to be a succession of Hanses.
First time you knew you were different
The penny dropped around six years old. It was not a clear and conscious metanoia but I knew something had just fallen apart.
First presidential election
I voted independent. I think his name was Anderson. Whatever happened to him anyway?
First time you felt you were an adult
Being dropped off at college.
First opera
It was “La Traviata”. It was a traveling production by the Met back when they toured each spring. It must have been 1976 or so. There were no supertitles then. I was bored to tears and I thought there was no way I would ever attend one of these silly dreary things again…..
First time out of the country
If Canada counts (and I believe it does), then this was in my infancy.
First job
Picture it : Busboy. Jacobson’s. Grosse Pointe Park.
First time you ate rats at Tewkesbury
Being obliged to play team sports in grade school.
First kiss
Charlie Thomas ~ ten years old. It was another frightful messy bungle.
First realization of the axiom “life is not fair”
Being bullied by Amy who lived on the next street. I realized the bitch was going to get away with it.
First disgraceful behavior
With braggadocio I read as many books as possible in grade school in order to get more ‘stars’ than anyone for the reading chart. I surpassed everyone, many whom despise me to this day.
19 comments
November 9, 2015 at 7:28 AM
Blobby
I would have to believe John Anderson is dead. That had to be the 1980 election no? Possibly 1984, but I think ’80. And he was in his 60s or 70s then. So I’m going with: dead.
I’d like to play this meme, but it won’t be till next week. My blog dance-card is already filled for this week. Amazing as that sounds.
November 9, 2015 at 7:40 AM
Urspo
I look forward to reading your take on it.
November 9, 2015 at 7:39 AM
Urspo
I look forward to your take on it.
November 9, 2015 at 8:11 AM
larrymuffin
John Anderson is 93 and still around, he supported Obama in 2012 and is still moderately active.
November 9, 2015 at 10:43 AM
Urspo
I never cease to marvel at your knowledge base!
November 9, 2015 at 11:35 AM
larrymuffin
Actually I was just on the phone with him and said, Do you know that Spo thinks your’e dead. He was shocked. LOL!
November 9, 2015 at 8:13 AM
David
How fun, I remember Jacobson’s, I went to school with one of the Jacobson kids at Rollins, mom bankrolled her into an art gallery that didn’t last long. I voted for Ford in 1976 – the only US President who was never elected as President or Vice President.
November 9, 2015 at 10:34 AM
itsmyhusbandandme
Your toe still isn’t right? I’d sue.
JP
November 9, 2015 at 11:19 AM
WARPed
Wow…my grandfather died in 1976 also.
🙂
-Andy
November 9, 2015 at 11:44 AM
Old Lurker
Alas, I was also an obnoxious reader. But there were fewer consequences, because the reading club was sponsored by the public library and nobody knew who I was.
November 9, 2015 at 12:08 PM
Mitchell is Moving
I love this. Might do it myself. Jerry’s first (and only) surgery was also an in-grown toenail. He recovered well but found it very traumatic. Poor boys!
November 9, 2015 at 2:58 PM
anne marie in philly
I’mma steal this for my own blog! 🙂
November 11, 2015 at 10:08 AM
Urspo
I am behind in my blog-reads; I will see to this anon….
November 9, 2015 at 10:45 PM
will jay
Anderson was running in 1980. He was the alternative to Ronald Reagan during the GOP primaries, The hostages in Iran were released and Reagan was inaugurated in January ’81 while I was taking the Coast Starlight to my friends’ wedding – which was, come t think of it, the first of my high school/college friends to get married (& they still are 35 years later).
November 10, 2015 at 4:25 AM
wfregosi
Clearly that first memory is real as it involved the emotions, and events that do so are much more likely to be retained in the memory. I knew I was different at about the same age, looking out the kitchen window and seeing a playmate’s NYC policeman father standing outside, a handsome blond guy with his shirt unbuttoned a couple of buttons and a rich mat of golden chest hair curling up into view. I was stunned and couldn’t take my eyes off him.
November 10, 2015 at 6:08 AM
Steven
Ah yes! Those ingrown toenail days when my parents would tell me to just soak my foot. That went on for months until I finally had surgery. They couldn’t believe what was actually removed. I loved your last line of “first airline flight.” 🙂
November 10, 2015 at 7:29 AM
grapes
My immediate impression, and I’ll go with the last impression on the last one so I don’t blather too long, is that it’s not disgraceful to read a lot of books. I think that’s exactly what the challenge is set up for: To motivate kids to read a lot of books, and it worked exactly as devised.
I’ll try to copy and paste this and do it today. I’ll get outside my comfort zone to do it, but I may do it anyway, as a procrastination aid!
November 11, 2015 at 6:27 PM
zephvark
Oh. Try Riesling Kabinett. It’s a very dry variety. You may find it more suited to your palette. Light white wine suited to special occasions, very tasty. I generally prefer something heavy in a merlot, these days. As you note, our tastes change.
November 11, 2015 at 6:27 PM
zephvark
Palate. Derp.