What is our fascination with first? First place, first call, first idea, first light - first, first, first. What's this craving about? Does the human ego feed off of first place, while second and third go home hungry? Does the first one up a mountainside really have a better view then the straggler at the end of the line? Does the last piece of birthday cake sour or spoil? Is the last wedding dance less sweet or the silver medalist truly less inspiring? I would say no, but here we go. Everyday going round and round the cycle of first places, first-comers, and then all the rest of us.
When I am lap swimming, and all the lanes are full, no one ever asks if they can join me. We see another swimmer there and we back away saying - "oh, well, they were here first." I've seen kids call out "shot gun" not because they know what it means, not because they need to ride in front for motion sickness, but for the sheer joy of being first.
And I have to say - get over it, get done with it and get on with life! The second mouse gets the cheese while the first mouse gets dead. The tensile strength of silver is actually stronger than that of gold, and no one gets any medal for being too afraid to participate. Failing isn't second; it's not even last, and first is only what we make it.
