Hello world.

From Chapter 1 of K&R's The C Programming Language:

"The only way to learn a new programming language is by writing programs in it. The first program to write is the same for all languages: print the words hello, world."

That tiny first program still says something real. It is the first proof that the machine can hear you back. It is the smallest possible bridge between thought and behavior.

Hello world survives because the ceremony is honest. Start small. Make contact. Then keep going.