Twenty Things To Do Before I Die
One of the reasons I remained childfree is because parenthood never made it on my “things to do before I die list.”
Why is this significant? Well, many of the things on my list are things I have dreamed of doing for a long time, things that might require a bit of planning and courage on my part, things that I hope, when achieved, will give me a sense of accomplishment.
The fact that parenthood never made it on my list is significant to me because it is a form of “proof” that parenthood is not a priority in my life. Most of my friends would say I am a curious person, a risk-taker, open to new experiences. But for me parenthood is like standing at the base of Mount Everest and climbing it on a dare, without equipment, training, or oxygen. Sure, it would be a major accomplishment if I made it to the top and planted my flag. It would be life-changing event, no doubt, but most people would think I was crazy. And I would have to agree.
To me parenthood is as daunting as Mount Everest. Desire is the oxygen. Without it I would never make the attempt. That is why neither parenthood nor a Mount Everest climb has ever made it on my list.
Why make a list? My list didn’t start out as a list. It was just a series of imaginings: visions of challenges and outcomes. Things I had hoped—one day—to do, or experiences I hope to learn from. The list started out small but I keep adding to it. It’s not “must do” list, it’s a “hope to” list. It is my hope that at the end of my days on this earth, I can look back on it and feel I have lived a full and challenging life.
What’s on the list?
- Make a total fool outta myself—done, many times
- Fall in and out of love—done, many times
- Eat haggis—done, too many times
- Sail in Tahiti—done
- Nurture a strong and lasting marriage—work in progress
- Talk to God—done, many times
- Thank my parents—done, many times
- Help a child, or person, in need—work in progress
- Travel the world—work in progress
- Write a book—work in progress
- Make a film—work in progress
- Laugh until I pee in my pants—done
- Hang Glide—done
- Surf in Hawaii—done
- Run my own company—done a few times
- Ski a double black diamond—done
- Swim with sharks and barracuda—done, unintentionally
- Jump out of an airplane—in the planning stages
- Perform on-stage—done, *see first entry
Copyright . Published 1 October 2007 in Editorials.
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