"The Next Thing on My List"

I just finished a book yesterday, "The Next Thing on My List" by Jill Smolinski. The basis of the story: Two girls meet at Weight Watchers. June offers Marissa a ride home, they get into a big accident and Marissa is killed. After the funeral, June finds a list in Marissa's purse named "Twenty Things to Do before I Turn Twenty-Five." Just two things are crossed off the list: "Lose 100 lbs, and Wear Sexy Shoes." June keeps the list, and, as the synopsis states: starts having the Adventure of Someone Else's Lifetime."

It wasn't a great book by any means, I gave it a tepid review on Goodreads. But the message of getting out there and living your life and being adventurous has hit me hard. It got me to thinking about my own list that I kept of things I wanted to do in my lifetime. I'm a serial list-maker, though my lists tend to have the same things on them every week: get groceries, pick up watch at jewelers, vacuum/dust, laundry, etc etc etc....... Very mundane.

The difference with my "Lifetime List" as I will call it, was that there was no time limit. I wrote it a long time ago, probably around 2000. I don't even have a copy anymore, but I still remember a couple of things on it. I clearly remember putting "Learn to drive a stick shift" and was pretty proud to cross that off in 2001. (After the mess of trying to learn to drive one with my new learner's permit at 16, I'm still pretty proud that I finally did it!) I also vaguely remember writing something silly about seeing Aerosmith in concert again and cooking a huge dinner and entertaining my friends. I can cross both of those things off, and I think it was kind of a silly thing to write.

So, in honor of the book, I am going to start a new list. I am going to keep "Learn to drive a stick shift" on there because I still consider it an item that should be there and I can cross it off. This is also just a partial list, as time goes on I will add more things. And if you have a list, I'd like to hear about it. I already know one of my friends out there (who shall remain nameless) had a list at one point and was disappointed by it and burned it. Is there anyone out there actively working on a list like this, and what's on YOUR list?

Ginny's Lifetime List

(Italicized items with dates can be considered "accomplished.")

1. Learn to drive a stick shift. (2001)

2. Speak Spanish fluently. (I am pretty close. If it was a different stage in my life I'd study abroad for a year or something and totally immerse myself in the language and culture)

3. Participate in live theatre. (One of my greatest regrets is not getting involved in theatre in college.)

4. Learn to play the flute.

5. Volunteer to help Sato dogs.

6. Dive off a diving board.

7. Learn to sew.

8. Travel cross-country.