Being "First"

As the firstborn, you are first for everything.

First experiment for the parents who follow your "first" everythings, first to go to school and climb on that school bus all by yourself, first to drive a car, first to date and be embarrassed by your family, first to go off to college, first to move away from home, first to marry (not always, but in my case). You never get hand-me-downs and you are always the one "in charge."

It's no wonder us firstborns get a complex! It's like a lifelong game of follow the leader! The family is always focused on what you are doing. Every milestone I ever hit was celebrated not only by me, but the whole clan. By the time my brother was going on his first date, we were all unaware watching a movie in the basement.

In any case, you can see how for a very long time the world revolved around me to an extent. After one semester away at college I came home for a weekend and my sister told me, "I'm glad you don't live here! YOU'RE BOSSY!" And she was right. But can you blame me? I actually kind of find it funny that she never realized it until I was gone and no one was telling her what to do all the time.

Still, I'm getting off point with my background details. Being the first to do everything basically seems like a right of passage when you are the oldest child. My oh my, how things are changing! Adult life is not so much like that and I think that in some ways it makes the transition harder. As I mentioned, both my sisters are having babies this year (actually one already had hers). WEIRD! You mean I'm NOT first!?

Of course I assumed my whole life that I would get married and have kids before any of my siblings. Things were thrown off course when my sister got pregnant out of wedlock and then married a man with a child. Well, I could still kind of be first, right? Wrong. She was pregnant again only months after she got married. I thought it would upset me, but it really didn't. I wasn't ready for kids anyway, but it was strange.

Now I'm falling WAY behind, but for once in my life I'm taking the mellow route and just trying to enjoy it. The truth is, for the first time in my life, it's nice being a follower. It's nice having someone do something before you and learning from their experiences. It's nice getting their good advice (let me stress the good part), and it will be nice to get their old baby items when my turn finally comes. I guess it's not bad to sit in the backseat once in a while instead of always being the driver. Perhaps I'll try it more often ;)