For me, it will always be Bugs Bunny

If you are reading on a smartphone, use landscape / hold phone sideways. 

Easter Rabbit (or Easter Bunny) is a character from Loony Tunes series. His only classic appearance was in "Easter Yeggs." He is a lazy rabbit who "works" at Easter time.

History: Bugs Bunny finds the Easter Bunny (also known as the "Easter Rabbit") sitting on a rock, crying. The Easter Bunny tells Bugs that his feet are sore, so he cannot deliver the Easter eggs. Bugs takes up the job, not knowing that he, like other rabbits, was actually tricked into doing so yearly. "Every year, I get some 'dumb bunny' to do my work for me."  Here is a clip:

And so, Easter Yeggs, a 1947 Looney Tunes theatrical animated short was my first memory of the Easter Bunny. I was born in 1960, so Saturday Morning Cartoons in Cedar Grove, New Jersey was my jam growing up. And Bugs Bunny was the best! I'll bet you that I saw that specific cartoon a few dozen times before graduating from Kindergarten. Maybe you have seen it as well.   

For the first ten years of my life, we lived next door to the Community Church of Cedar Grove, so the first ten Easter Sundays of my life (unless we were traveling) were right in my own back yard. We lived at 45 Bowden Road, and the Church was at (still is) 65 Bowden Road. I went to Nursery School (Preschool) there. I remember riding my bike with training wheels (and years later, my gas powered Go-kart) in their MASSIVE parking lot. Funny, in 2023, their parking lot seems, well, very tiny. When I graduated from 6th grade, we moved from Cedar Grove to Boca Raton, Florida - and we sold our house to the church. I think they still own it to this day (Pastor's Residence). 

And so, this Easter Sunday morning, my blog takes me down a Rabbit Hole: "The Community Preschool is a state-certified preschool, licensed by the Division of Youth and Family Services. The School is non-sectarian and non-profit and is located in the Community Church of Cedar Grove. It was established as a service to the surrounding communities in 1948."

Where are you going with this Tom?

In all aspects of life, first impressions are important. You remember (for life) your first experiences. In animals, imprinting refers to a critical period of time early in life, when it forms attachments and develops a concept of its own identity. Birds and mammals are born with a pre-programmed drive to imprint onto their mother. 

My first memory of "The Easter Bunny" and the one that I see in my mind's eye first, is from the 1947 Looney Tunes Easter Yeggs cartoon. My first memory of Easter is THE BIG PARTY that we would hold every year - in my yard! (I thought we owned the Community Church). Easter Sunday was a big party for everyone in the neighborhood - at our house.   

Yes, in business and in life, first impressions matter. A study from Princeton University has found that people make judgements on attractiveness, likability and trustworthiness within a fraction of a second after seeing someone. Even if presented with lots of opposing evidence, we tend to rely on our own initial impressions of people - and of a business. 

First impressions matter, and usually last a lifetime.

Community Preschool of Cedar Grove - Since 1948

"Our goal is to provide each child with a safe,

healthy and nurturing first school experience."