Radical Eclecticity

I while back, I started this list. I emailed it to some friends as a desperate, last-ditch attempt to get them to commit to a gathering of friends that had been scattered about the country for too long. I even cited this list several times in conversations with friends and coworkers.

Then, I heard about this movie called “The Bucket List,” which totally makes my concept seem ridiculously unoriginal. Now by saying that, I don’t mean to imply that making a list of things to do while you’re still alive to do them is even remotely close to an original thought. I know that humankind has been doing that since man first became aware of mortality as a constant.

My point is, that when I tell someone about my list, and they say, “Oh, you mean a bucket list. Like that movie?” it sort of cheapens the internal realization that happened to prompt the formation of such a list. See, I had all these grandiose plans that I was certain I would get to, but I never felt the sense of urgency required to actually get it all done. It was always a foregone conclusion that these things would happen. The scarcity of time never actually entered the equation.

After the accident, though, I realized that none of it is foregone conclusion. I have several books that I plan to write, a doctorate to earn, a school to open, and a mark to leave on the world. I am much more conscious now of the need to take regular steps in those directions in the short term. Now I find myself organizing my thoughts differently, and even taking a random hour here and there to write some notes and work out some possibilities.

But that’s not what the list is about.

The list I made does not contain anything in the way of long term projects or life-long dreams. I made a list of the things that I want to do that you have to get off your 屁股 and just do. I call it my “Life Is Too Damn Short To Put This Stuff Off Anymore” list, or LITDSTPTSOA. “Find a cure for cancer” or “be the architect of world peace” would never go on a list like this. Those things can’t be put on a calendar or planned for in the near term. You can’t just accomplish them, you inch towards them regularly.

I have, however, always planned to visit Europe, but never went and got a passport or even considered where it might go on the calendar. I’m sorry, life is just too damn short to put that off anymore. Step one, get a passport. The required documents are collected, and the application filled out. I should have my appointment within the week (and my thanks go out to my siblings who gave me the application as a gift). This is much more concrete than the “someday” where this notion used to live.

Naw, but that’s not significant, really. I just heard of some movie and thought it was a good idea. MattLavery.SarcasmMode(off)

So, now that I’ve written much more introduction than I intended, and have to get ready for work, I’ll write about the items on the list later. At this point, I’ll just put the list out in it’s abbreviated form. Each item will probably get a post of it’s own later. So, here it is:

Life Is Too Damn Short To Put This Stuff Off Anymore:

1. Visit China
2. Visit the four states that I haven’t been to yet (Alaska, Montana, Idaho, & Wyoming)
3. Visit Vegas and see all the Cirque du Soleil shows there
4. Take a cruise
5. Have a pint at the Lavery’s Pub in Belfast
6. Attend a seminar, class, or lecture at Cambridge