First times

On the weekend I had a discussion about questions like: When was the first time you listened to this song?  Sure, most of us remember the first kiss or the first own appartement. But do you remember the first time you did pet a cat? Or the first time you realized what you want to work? Can you remember the first time that you realized that people have different skin colors? When was the first time you realized that you are a boy/a girl? Can you remember the first time you were able to stay up until midnight?

It's about the time when interest forms itself.
A lot of first times occur to you when you are a child. So thinking about first times is also about how you grew up. When and why did a certain interest for something start? Which opinions and views on the world you had and have and when were the first times that opened up or broke down these views?

A friend of mine had the idea of trying out something new every week as a kind of dare. That could be going in a cafe all by yourself without meeting anyone there. Or singing karaoke. Or answering questions of a teacher when no one else does. Help someone who looks desparate. Talk to a foreigner on the street without a reason. The list is endless. And it's a very personal decision what to choose to do something for the first time. And sometimes you are not even able to choose a first time cause you suddenly find yourself in a new situation. Everyone has and had their own first times.
I think it's a good idea for brighten up daily life by setting yourself in new situations, which may frighten you or encourage you or just giving you another perspective on life and the world that surrounds you.
I think there is something special in everything you do for the first time. It will never be like the first experience. Your senses are more open. You're maybe more emotional about it. You have expectations or  opinions. Have doubts or questions, you wonder about things.
In first times the fear about a new situation can make you feel uncomfortable and make you never go back in a situation. First times challenges you. Try out not to critizice. Be a field researcher who finds out how another culture or society works. Let your feelings which arise and the thoughts you have wander through your body and mind. Everything is a new experience. Stay open for first times.