Sunday, June 27, 2010

My not-to-do list

We're lucky to have two library systems within easy driving distance, and one of them has complete seasons of Mythbusters available to check out. This is a show our whole family enjoys. It's fascinating to see how they use math and science and engineering (and explosions).

The other day we were watching an episode where they tested some skydiving myths.* As I was watching them get ready to jump out of the plane, I remembered that when I was in high school, I made a list of things I would like to do someday. One thing on the list was "Go skydiving."

I have no idea why I thought this would be fun. I suppose it sounded cool, and at that age, coolness outranks peril. At that age I also enjoyed climbing up and sitting on the roof of my home to watch fireworks. Now I get on my roof only when I have to fix the swamp cooler, and the whole time I'm up there I worry about putting a foot wrong and slipping off. And the last time I took my kids on a Ferris wheel, I found myself gripping the safety bar and counting the moments till I could get off. A Ferris wheel!**

Maybe I'm more realistic now. Maybe I'm just duller. Probably both. Anyway, I started thinking about other things that used to be on my lifetime to-do list and now are not. I really did want to do all these things. Now . . . I don't.

My not-to-do list

Go skydiving
Go hang gliding
Own exotic pets
Go on a two-week backpacking trip
Take voice lessons and sing solos
Design my own house and help build it
Act in a play
Live on a farm
Explore caves
Climb a really high mountain
Teach college
Own a boat
Go scuba diving
Learn to fly a plane

Some of these seem scary now. Others seem like too much work, or seem pointless, or just don't appeal anymore. The good news is that I have plenty of other things still on my lifetime to-do list. Maybe if I can weed out more of the things I no longer want to do, I'll have a better chance of accomplishing the rest!


* Can you carry on a conversation during freefall? (No.) Can one skydiver catch up to another one by holding his body differently? (Yes.)

** I still like roller coasters, but for some reason, Ferris wheels scare me now. And I used to think they were boring and tame. Weird.

3 comments:

Cori said...

I wanted to be a marine biologist, drive a black Trans Am and have ten kids. Nope, nope, and nope. Oh, and take all the kids on a four day camping trip. Uh oh, wait a minute... :)

Anonymous said...

LOL I love your list funny thing is some of them are on my to do! I may copy you if that is ok! Miss you!

Harmony said...

All five of my boys like Mythbusters too, although I don't think we've seen the skydiving episode yet. Can't say I've ever wanted to do anything that involved falling from heights (no matter how controlled), but watching other people do it can be pretty fun. :-)