MY FIRST TIME
FOREWORD
by Michael Birchwood, editor
I was minding my own business, driving to work, listening to the Steve Cochran radio show in Chicago. He was at the very end of an interview with a very sexy, provocative sounding lady who turned out to be a $2,000 a night escort. I remember she was talking about the “tricks of her trade,” some of the tools she used, wacky clients, you know — the business. Her vocal tone and her intelligence intrigued me.
At the end of the show Steve said that she should write a book about her wild year (uncharacteristically, she started at the tender age of 39, had over 400 “clients” in one year while holding down a full time job, got busted and quit). I thought to myself, “I’m that guy! I want to write that book!”
I got in touch with “Liz” through Steve and we started on her story. During one of the interviews she told me that on several occasions she was hired by a brother, cousin, friend etc., to devirginize a young lad, brother, cousin, etc. She told me her first was a 19-year-old college boy, and though he was quite athletic (very athletic, she repeated as her eyes rolled back a bit) and very popular he was also quite shy — and still a virgin. His older brother hired “Liz” to de-flower him — bring him into manhood with a sense of confidence. And after breaking several condoms trying to fit them on his very ‘athletic’ member, she did. (One size does not fit all!)
And this got me thinking.
Thinking about my first time...what a mess. And wondering what would have changed in my life if that rite of passage had been different. More enjoyable. More exciting. More fulfilling. Different.
And this got me thinking some more.
In our lives we have many memorable experiences. And, somehow, the “first time” is one we will never forget. I’ve been to the Taj Majal, walked The Great Wall, roamed the jungles of Sumatra...But I will never, NEVER, forget the first time. (Now as for the second time...Oh ya, now I remember — in my dorm room while my roommate was asleep — but it took a while to remember.)
You haven’t forgotten your first time either, right? (Well, then again...as you will see, one of the contributors to this book actually slept through his!)
Each of our passages into adulthood is unique. Sometimes it’s romantic. Sometimes it’s a mess. Sometimes it’s traumatic. Sometimes it’s “What the hell did we just do?” Sometimes it’s “Was that it?” Sometimes it’s: (e.) All of the above. And that’s what this book is about.
To find my stories I went to over 200 newsgroups on the web. Over 600 people answered my query. Guidelines were also posted in a couple of writer’s websites. Over 130 stories were submitted. I worked with writers from New Zealand, Australia, The Netherlands, Germany, Hungary, South Africa, U.K., Ireland, Pakistan, Philippines, Israel and, of course, the U.S.A. and Canada. In the process I have gotten to know many of the contributors quite well and have spent a fun two years corresponding with them. I’m sure some day we’ll have a gathering.
Some, if not all, of the contributors really enjoyed writing their stories. I got comments like: “Here’s my story, not overly exciting, but all true. And, yes it was fun writing it. Even my husband enjoyed reading it!” and “Writing this was an unexpectedly emotional experience...even after 25 years. Hope you enjoy reading as much as I enjoyed writing it.” And “Wow, was that fun writing up the story. And I got pretty hot writing it too. Boy, is the wife gonna get it tonight!”
Only a few of the stories were rejected because I thought they were unbelievable: a 13 year-old with a shaved pussy had anal sex for two hours while she was baby-sitting — come on, please, gimme a break — another story was so badly written that I couldn’t figure out what actually happened . One girl told me she was 14 and had just had sex for the first time two weeks ago — would I be interested in her story? I replied, yes I would but I would need a consent release from her parents to publish it. End of conversation. I rejected a couple more because they dealt with really under-aged kids; a 6 year-old boy spent several days riding on top of a 14-year-old girl and an 11-year-old boy was seduced by his best friend’s 32-year-old mother. Yes, these things happen, but I didn’t think this was the correct forum to exhibit them.
Only one other story was rejected because it was so bad. In fact it was so bad I just had to include it here:
My first time was with a lady from my high school that had a reputation. Chrissy was a nice enough lady but had been around the block a few times. I asked her out and we went on a double date with friends of mine. The other guy knew I was a virgin and was rooting for me.
He arranged for Chrissy and me to be alone at a local park that is about thirty miles from the nearest street light. So there we were, out in the middle of nowhere and we started making out. She had on panty hose, which after kissing for 2 minutes, she took off. She was sitting on the wooden picnic table and I layed her back kissing and feeling her up. After a couple more minutes I stood up and she was laying back on the table ... and that was my first experience and my first position.
Later that night when I told her I was a virgin, she said that I was lying.
I know this is probably the worst you have received and I only had five minutes to write it but you can use it to send to others to let them know how bad mine was and that their’s have to be better than this).
Eve and I did very little editing — some grammar, some structure and maybe a little trimming. But we wanted the stories to be told in their original voice. So, again, you’ll find some that are music to your ears, others not so lyrical.
Selecting the seventy-odd final stories was no easy task. Many great stories didn’t make this book, but will probably make the sequel. Stay tuned.
I asked people to send me their true stories — the wild, wacky, romantic, erotic — but nothing traumatic. And they did. (And I thank all the contributors again for your stories and your enthusiasm.) These stories may remind you of your own personal experience. You’ll be glad you didn’t have to go through some and others you’ll wish you had. They’re romantic, naive, erotic, silly, strange, funny, exhilarating and even a few that are frankly, just bland. Many are written by talented writers. Several are not. But each is beautifully unique in its style, detail and plot.
As Oprah, the queen of voyeurism, would probably say, “I hope you enjoy”.
Michael Birchwood