Life's List

The other day I was organizing the basement (because I'm lame), and while going through a box of old things I came across a bucket list that I must've written around sixth grade. The cursive is exquisite, I lined up to the margins like a pro, AND there's even some long division scribbled at the top.
It gave me pause not only because I had completely forgotten I ever wrote it, but also because I had created an entirely different list about three years ago. Fifteen years can make us change a lot of our expectations :: #23 from sixth grade is, "stay drug free" (whoo-hoo!), while the new #23 is, "participate in a protest". While I don't think many, if any, of the items overlapped, it was fun to see what I have accomplished, what seems so trivial now, and what work I have yet to do.

I'll be honest, I've rocked the hell out of some of that sixth grade list:

• Visit three foreign countries (aim big, Ash...)
• Complete four years of college
• Learn calligraphy better
• Have a cat (and she's a gorgeous, lazy pile who knows no bounds of a litter box)
• Run a half marathon 
• See a Broadway show



I mean, that cursive...

• Learn to paint my right hand fingernails as well as my left (you can't make this stuff up, Folks)

But on some goals I fell short:

• Collect all the Beanie Babies (damn!)
• Be in a Broadway show
• Go to the University of Wisconsin (say wha??)
• Memorize all the countries
  
• Sail the Atlantic
• I mean, there's more but I'll keep them to myself

I share this because I think goals are constantly evolving. If they're not, they should be. And there shouldn't be an end to the list, because we're never done. My newer list may have things like "coach a team", "give a public speech", "research my family tree" and "be a part of a documentary", but it lacks elements from my younger list that everyone should have. 

My tween self knew enough to know that it will be important to "maintain old friendships", "stand up for what is right" and "be happy". But I also listed a couple items that I think shape who I am today. I wanted to learn how to cook and "make art", to teach others important lessons, and to have one child (nailed it!). Lately I spend my days cooking and crafting (that's art, right?), sometimes teaching at school but usually teaching my beautiful son everything from how to say please ("EEEEEAASE!") to how to properly eat a Popsicle.

I end with this :: Another piece of paper in that old box in the basement said, "I’m a good writer. At least people tell me I am so I hope I am. I write to untie the knots that my mind loops. Someday, I’m going to write a book...or at least a blog." Well, I couldn't figure out when I wrote that, but here we are. Let's cross it off the list. And since it took me, like, three hours to figure out how to set this thing up, I'm also going to check off sixth grade list #30 too; "learn how to use the world wide web". 

Want to follow along with me as I fumble through life's list?