Beginning at the very Beginning?

The Countess of Devonshire once wrote of the torture of selecting the first word of the first sentence of the first paragraph of a new book. What word to start with? What phrase to start with? She posed some good questions, none of which I have ever come across an answer for, but have instead developed a longer list of questions...

Of all the words available in the English language, what word is the most common for giving a writer the best opening and opportunity to discover their creative flow?

How many books start with the definite article?

How many books start with, heaven help us according to our English teachers from yester-year, a conjunction or dreaded preposition? How many books finish thus?

Does anyone ever start with the second sentence of the book because that somehow feels less intimidating?

Was there ever, in the days of the illuminated manuscript, pressure on the author to start their sentence with an 'interesting' character, one that enabled the illustrator to show off their skills?

Starting a blog poses a similar set of questions... how does one begin?

Should I start with a lengthy narrative about who I am, what views and topics I feel I might be sharing and why I feel that these views and topics are going to be enhanced with my contributions being recorded for posterity? Or should I perhaps try very, very hard to make a good impression about my command of the pithy remark and elegant language so as to convince the passing surfer that this corner of the web is worth lingering in or revisiting at another time?

Perhaps... perhaps I should just post something for the sake of posting... afterall, the first post will become rather irrelevant once the second post is made... and anyway, seconds are always easier than firsts....