23.7.11

Long Time Coming

Lazy usually doesn't describe me.  Laziness didn't keep me from continuing my daily installments of the 30 Day Non-Facebook Prose-Instead-of-Pictures Challenge. Terror did.

Before the explanation of how terror paralyzed my blog posts, here are the past and future (daily) challenges.

The past:
1.A picture of yourself with 10 facts
2.A picture of you and the person you have been closest with the longest
3.A picture of the cast from your favorite show
4.A picture of your favorite night
5.A picture of your favorite memory
6.A picture of a person you'd love to trade places with for a day
7.A picture of your most treasured item
8.A picture that makes you laugh
9.A picture of the person who has gotten you through the most
10.A picture of the person you do the most ****** up things with
11.A picture of something you hate
12.A picture of something you love
13.A picture of your favorite band or artist
14.A picture of someone you could never imagine your life without

Today:
15.A picture of something you want to do before you die

The future:
16.A picture of someone who inspires you
17.A picture of something that has made a huge impact on your life recently
18.A picture of your biggest insecurity
19.A picture and a letter
20.A picture of somewhere you'd love to travel
21.A picture of something you wish you could forget
22.A picture of something you wish you were better at
23.A picture of your favorite book
24.A picture of something you wish you could change
25.A picture of your favorite day
26.A picture of something that means a lot to you
27.A picture of yourself and a family member
28.A picture of something you're afraid of
29.A picture that can always make you smile
30.A picture of someone you miss

The timing of Day Fifteen's request was poignant in that I'm still not completely cleared of suspicious cancer cells.  Skin cancer.  So "what do I want to do before I die?" has become a very real question. 

Bucket Lists are fun to think about.  But when the shit hits the fan, they're not all that realistic.  Seriously?  Sailing around the world?  If it's really that important, make it happen now.  When it can be enjoyed.  Even when I posed the Bucket List question on Facebook with a caveat of only one thing, people's suggestions were too broad or grand for the immediate. 

My "List" has been revamped.  If you know me in real life, you've heard me say that if I were ever diagnosed with some terminal disease, I would climb Mount Everest.  Because if I'm going to die, at least do something fun.  But no more.  I'm a wimp.  I'm not an Alpinist; I have only recently rejoined the world of exercisers; and to top it off, I'd have some disease that could be a lethal burden to my fellow climbers.  No, I would want to surround myself with all the love and comfort I could for as long as I could.

My "List" is quite simple.  To be with the people I love in a place I love.  My family, at home.  No grand adventures, no thrill seeking, no fastest or highest anything.  Just Mr. Gaelic, Finola, Deirdre, Maeve, Baby, Thing 1 and Thing 2.

And no regret that I never summitted Mount Everest.

[Title taken from this.]

4 comments:

  1. Sometimes reducing wants to their bare essence is a good exercise.

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  2. That sounds like a fine "List" to me!

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  3. Well said. Didn't know you were struggling with skin cancer, sweetie. Praying all is well.

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  4. I think that's a great List. Sounds a lot like mine. Of all the people I've assisted in their journey to the next dimension, no one has ever regretted not doing something fun. Only regret I've ever heard was not spending enough time serving/loving, etc/ God, not loving on their family enough, and not telling family that they are loved enough, and not letting family love on them enough. Seriously.. no other regret but ones related to those four. And this is probably a few hundred people.(I did AIDS work, and geriatric work, and hospice) And NOT ONE EVER regretted anything about work except doing too much to the detriment of the above four.

    I don't believe you'll have that regret whether it's in the next few years, or the next 50 years. You could get hit by a bus tomorrow! We never know when it could be. And yes, I have been where you are, and even more. So, don't sweat it as much as possible. Truthfully and trustingly put it in God's hands, and love on your family, and live your life...

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