Opening Move: Charge the Center?

In upstate New York many summers ago, my father introduced me to the game of chess. Our first game went something like this: I moved my white pawn to f3. Dad moved his black pawn to e5. My next move was a "careful" one: pawn to g4. Now if you're familiar with chess openings, like my Dad was, you can guess his next move. With my king exposed, he moved his queen on a diagonal track to the square next to my powerless pawn (Qh4# 0-1).

"Checkmate!"

My first chess lesson: Opening moves are paramount. A bad start can lead to a quick and sudden endgame.