Appropriately enough for my first entry I want to share with you a book about firsts. First dates, first periods, first high heels, first solo trip and how all of these and other firsts have led girls into womanhood.
The book is Virgin Territory: Stories from the Road to Womahood by Cathy Alter and it is a collection of essays written by women of all ages, religions, and ethnicities who share their experiences of firsts. I think that regardless of who the reader is anyone can feel connected by these encounters. I laughed out loud as one writer shared her story of her first French kiss and cried when another woman wrote about her first wig she had to buy as a result of losing her hair to chemotherapy.
This book made me think about some of the same experiences I’ve had, how I reacted to them and how they have shaped my life. As I was reading this book, I constantly wanted to put it down, because I wanted to reach for my journal and record my firsts and look back at some of my first experiences and revel in the similarities. How did I feel the first time I moved to another country? How did I feel the first time I got a 100 on a test? How did I feel the first time I saw my father cry?
This book made me feel connected to other women, just like I hope to feel connected to other bookworms out there. Got any firsts you want to share?
