Tell us about your first day at something — school, work, as a parent, etc.
I can’t say I have strong recollections of any of them. I have a vague recollection of the flight to basic training (first time flying, but mostly I remember there was a drunk dude sitting next to me,) but I don’t recall anything from my first day in the military proper. No first days of school or on any job have stuck.
I guess my clearest memory is for the most recent major first — first day living in Bangalore, India (a little over eleven years ago.) I must say, however, I just remember snippets of being lost in a walk around the neighborhood. One might expect a first day in urban India to be daunting / overwhelming- even for a reasonably well-traveled Westerner, but if it was I don’t remember that bit.
Tiger Riding for Beginners 
It was the first day you forgot 🙂
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Such an interesting glimpse into your first day experiences! It’s great how you’ve shared your memories with us. Could you elaborate on how the experience of your first day living in Bangalore, India has shaped your perspective and subsequent experiences?
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Well, Bangalore has changed tremendously in the past twelve years, but I’m never sure how much because part of the change is in Bangalore and part is in me. I’ve acclimated to the environment even as many changes have been made. I suspect the changes are not so great as I’ve imagined — Metro lines, airport expansions, and an ever-shifting sea of retailers and restaurants notwithstanding.
At some point there was a change in perspective. I remember going for a run and as I passed what seemed like an ordinary potted plant on the sidewalk, I got a six-centimeter scratch on my forearm (not deep or dangerous.) Needing to support the plant, the gardener (or “gardener”) had used a piece of rusty barbwire and rebar to tie up the sapling’s trunk. On earlier occasions, whenever I’d busted my head on a sign or fixture that was too low or slipped on indoor tile being used for outdoor purposes, I’d thought “Wow, this place is unsafe.” But – on this particular occasion – I thought, “Serves me right for assuming it was safe to brush up against a shrubbery.” And – as I ran – it occurred to me that it was at least as reasonable to think of the cities of my homeland as baby-proofed from stem-to-stern as it was to think of this place as fundamentally unsafe.
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Thank you for your reply. I have often thought that there is far too much blame attached to other people’s actions and now where near enough attached to our own behaviour. I’d rather be responsible for my actions and behaviour than have someone else decide what safe for me.
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