Thirteen First

I found this on my friend Donovan’s Blog - as he said… If you're so inclined, you can play by posting in the comments or sharing a link to your blog or personal space on the internets.

1. First day of school.
There were seven kids in my neighborhood that were my age when I was growing up, we were all in the afternoon kindergarten session at Mesa Elementary school… I am still friends with most of them, the school no longer is… On that September morning Michael Taylor and I sat in my backyard and watched across the valley to the grade school waiting. A portion of LaMirada has a valley running through it, my family’s house was on the southeast rim, Mesa was on the west and the view from my parents Flagstone BBQ was perfect.

The noon lunch bell rang, our mother’s called and the wait was almost over. I remember what I wore, mom had curled my hair. But in all honesty I can’t remember whose mother walked us to the school, I know Pam’s mother drove her, Michael and I walked – six of us were in the afternoon session, the same class with Mrs. Espinosa. In my memory the six of us sat in two rows of three, Michael behind me with George and Jody Coyote on either side of him crying; I sat in the middle between Andy Miller and Pam and all four of them were crying, blubberous, teary sobs that beckoned for moms that had to be chased by the teacher out of the room.

I loved kindergarten, I loved school, and I loved my friends. Three or four years ago we got together in Vegas.

2. First kiss –
Honest I can’t remember if this was my first kiss, but it was a sad scenario. I was playing dress up at my friend’s house when her brother Keith joined us. He as a year or two older and oh so handsome to the young me. He kissed me, then he denied it. Heartbreak. But the reality is I don't remember how good the kiss was... so it must not have been bad, but it couldn't have been great, so it must have been blah....

3. First date –
Ronnie, of the black lashes and blue eyes. He was thirty minutes late and I was totally smitten, we went to a football game… I think. Did I mention I was smitten.

4. First car –
I didn’t get my first car until I was gosh nineteen, a guy I babysat for gave me his 1968 Bonneville. I had to get rid of it a few months later, but it was my first affair with power steering.
The first car I bought myself, a Datsun 200 SX with the white racing stripe.

5. First time –
Sadly, I should have pressed charges, but that's a whole 'nother story. The first time that I care to remember was when I was sixteen, we were on vacation and I’d known this guy for two summers. He was awesome and spoke to my need to be needed, wanted, and desired.

6. First break up -
Hmmmm, total heartbreak, I’ve never gotten over Ronnie, and the first time I was told I was the marring kind. How come parents never warn you about that line?

7. First ‘real’ job –
Believe it or not, my first two jobs were working horses. My cousin was a veterinary student and worked for one of the barns at Paradise Turf outside of Phoenix. For two summers I mucked out stalls and the exercise rings, twice a day, five days a week. I loved my job, I loved the horses, I even loved Arizona desert and the summer heat.

8. First time to lose a job –
Ha ha, I was seventeen and worked for a restaurant here in Florence, at the time I had two jobs, the other was working for a tourist trap giving horseback excursions through the Oregon Dunes, getting paid one dollar an hour.

This was back in 1973. You’ll remember I love horses, I love mucking barns, and I love working. The owners of both jobs were next door neighbors. In the small community paper, The Rainy Day Rag, (appropriate for Florence, Oregon don’t cha think?) a commentary was written about the kids that worked at my job were only getting paid a dollar an hour. I knew that wasn’t the minimum wage, but I took the job anyway. I got laid off from the restaurant two days later,
“Business is slow and we don’t need you right now.” Strangely, the next day the hired two new people.

Later I was told they thought I’d written the letter because I was the “smartest” of the kids in the barn, a nice compliment don’t you think? The sad part, they never considered that one of the editors of the paper was also the mother of one of the girls I worked with in the barn.

9. First time in love - Psam, don’t read this… I can say this with all honesty and lust…. Ronnie. He still lives in my heart. I regret we never had sex, I know he would have been great,
because he had awesome fingers…I know, TMI

10. First drink –
Boone’s Ferry Wild Mountain Berry. Oh, yum. I think I was seventeen. But really I've never been much of a drinker.

11. First Sign of a Backbone –
I have a backbone? I can’t remember an specific realization, but the time it probably felt the best is when upon the realization that leaving me was a mistake, I said… “Yes, it was. Live with it.”

12. First Ambition -
Believe it or not I had two ambitions, one to become a Marine Scientist, did you know that they need eight years of zoology? What’s that all about? I also knew I had nothing in the way of finance and I knew nothing about student loans.

The second was to become a professional dancer. First when you are almost six feet all at the age of sixteen, dancing is becoming less of an option. Second, you need talent and a lot more training than I have ever had. Music still sings in my heart , and certain songs and melodies will make my imagination dance in joy. Sadly my awesome girth keeps my feet from following.

13. First Realization of Mortality –
I don’t know if I ever had a first realization of morality.

My baby brother died the day after he was born in June of my sixth grade year. Maybe that was it, I’m really not sure. That was the first time I realized how family should be, it was the way
our family became. David’s death drew us together. From death can come good things and sometimes not.

When I was in junior high a friend lost his leg to cancer, he passed in our freshman year he lost his battle. Eric’s death was truly the first time I realized that people can die too early.

So now go read Donavan's List of 13 First, it's much better. If you do your own let me know...

Sith,
Cele