There's nothing like the first time

If I could go back in time I wouldn't bother with the great moments in history. I'd much rather go back to the first time I heard The Smiths or saw The Office. I'd even be happy to go back a couple of months to the first time I watched The West Wing. That moment when I discover something really amazing is one of my greatest joys in life. There's not much that makes me happier than hearing an incredible song for the first time. Or discovering a television show that I can't tear myself away from until I've seen every minute of it. Or a wonderful book that's so engrossing that I can barely do anything else until it's finished, but also try to drag out as long as possible because I don't want to get to the end. Music is probably the most obvious and accessible. I love a song that can alter my mood, that makes me stop what I'm doing and forces me to listen to it rather than just playing in the background. Those are the moments when I know it's something special, and no matter how much I love a song, or how often I listen to it, it's never quite the same as that very first time. In the past I've made the mistake of searching for a replacement. I've tried to recreate the moment by hoping that something similar will have the same affect, but it doesn't work that way. I can't make it happen, it just does.

Then there are the oportunities to share something I love with someone else who may also love it, which is probably as close as I get to reliving the discovery. I don't really like to recommend things all that often, at least not too enthusiastically. I might mention something in passing in the hope that it may trigger someone's interest, but would never insist on them watching, listening to or reading whatever it is. I feel so attached to the things I love, even though I've had nothing at all to do with their creation, they're far too personal to me to have someone else dismiss them as unworthy. But those rare occasions when someone does actually "get it" the way I "get it" are worth the risk. As much as I would love to relive those moments of discovery, and I'm envious of people who are yet to experience the things that I think are so amazing, the best part is never knowing the next time that moment will hit. Will the next song I listen to be one of the ones that make my stomach flip? Will that new show have me so enthralled that I'll lose sleep to watch one more episode, and maybe just one more after that? Maybe that film that everyone's talking about will actually turn out to be as brilliant as they say, who knows? All I can be sure of is that it will happen again, and it will be worth waiting for. It always is.