Prompt from ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
theatrical_museFirstFirst... first what?
Anything? Really? Sure. Okay.
There are a lot of firsts that stand out in my life...
✬ The first time I felt abandoned by my parentsSay what you want, children know when they're not wanted. Looking back, I think I always knew that my parents hadn't really wanted me. I was an accident when they failed to take the proper precautions. Then instead of doing what is better for the child, they decided to ignore that child and when they didn't ignore, they hit and yelled.
✬ The first time I met ScottWe met at a set of swings in a nearby playground to our houses. I think we saw something familiar in the other - two abused little kids who were self defensive and playing badass. He gave me my first nickname... it was nice to have a friend, someone I eventually came to rely on and lean on.
✬ The first time we met J and AbsIt was kindergarten and we were all a bit outsiders in our own ways. Or so we all thought. Instead it turned out we had more in common than we realized. J came from a more to do well home but his parents were never there and left him with nanny's. After that, we became as thick as thieves. They tried to separate us but it didn't really work in those early years.
✬ The first time we met the guysI'm not sure who met who first but I recall J and Scott saying they've met a couple of really cool guys - Don and Ricky. We were... maybe in middle school? And these were HIGH SCHOOL guys because you know, that was a really big deal. I guess they saw kindred spirits in the guys and invited them to hang out at their place. Abs and I came up in conversation and were invited over the next time.
After that... we met their other friends and we just became a family. They were the first group that I realized I could really count on - who didn't take my bullshit and pushed me to do better because they knew I could and believed in me. They didn't want us to get mixed up in the same bullshit they had in their early years and sort of took us under their wing. It was unconventional and it took us a long time to even get used to having someone care, attempt to give us rules and be there when we fell. But we needed that. It was more stability than we'd had in a long time.
✬ The first time I worked on a carI learned how to work on a car before I was able to drive a car. Which, looking back on it, was really good. Abs and I aren't what you'd call your stereotypical girl (but really though, who is after high school - those things start to mean less and less) so when Don and Ricky asked if we'd like for them to teach us how to work on a car, we shrugged and said sure. They were planning on opening up their own garage at that time, having been taught at an early age by their dad's, and thought having some experience would come in handy. Really I think they didn't want us to embarrass them too much when we answered phones. We took it like a duck to water and soaked in everything they had to each us. It was like a puzzle and it was therapeutic really - something I could do with my hands and immerse myself into.
✬ The first time I droveIt was... freedom. And likely terrifying for Don who had drawn the short straw in teaching me how to drive. He and the others insist I gave them grey hair when they started teaching me. I would just like to say, for the record, in this journal, that that is absolutely not true. I was not that bad of a driver. Okay, I had a lead foot and nearly backed into another car but did learn what NOT to do quickly. And what to do in other circumstances, such as racing.
✬ The first time I was able to actually race against someone who wasn't one of the guys
Don and Ricky weren't always the 'top dogs' they are today. They worked their way up through the ranks and when one thing lead to another, they were asked to take it over. It was during those in-between years that we were slowly introduced to it and watched everything we could. They didn't want us to be exposed to it and by 'us' I mean Abs and I. But we're stubborn shits and wanted in on whatever was happening. Finally, they taught us and we started practicing.
The first time I raced against someone who wasn't family, his name is Keith... was embarrassing and I lost spectacularly. But that didn't stop me. I kept practicing and went at it and the next time I went up against him, I lost but not nearly as badly as the first time. The adrenaline and the vibe of the tuner parties get to me. I love it and can't imagine it not in my life at this point in time.