go first

I’ve spent half my life getting in trouble
and the other half getting out of it,

nothing extreme or dangerous, just different.
(I take great pride in cultivating my oddness)

I did it because it was fun,
because I wanted to challenge myself,
because I wanted to be different,
because no one told me I couldn’t,
because my home was a safe haven.

I won’t bore you with examples, just a tip.

go first.

I wish I could go back in time to tell your parents to:
let you go to camp,
trust and forgive you,
give you more privacy,
let you go your own direction,
believe in you.

but I can’t,
so I will tell you this instead.

go first.

you don’t have to ask for permission to:
say hello first,
book the tickets first,
be kind first,
take the leap first,
make the change first,
choose yourself first.

go first.

being first allows you to:
set the rules first,
reap the rewards first,
learn the lessons first,
move on to the next thing first.
be first again.

indeed, if you never try first, you’ll never fail,
you’ll also never win.

who wants to be first?

I’ll see you tomorrow.

today is day 231 of the year, there are 136 days remaining of 2022.