Last weekend I cleaned out a box that had various papers from college and late high school. In addition to some VERY angsty poetry, I found a list entitled "Things to do before I get to old and/or too busy." (The "too busy" part makes me think that I knew more then about my penchant for trying to do too much than I realized...)
Looking over this list, I was pleased to find that there were a decent amount of things on the list that I have done. I don't recall exactly when this list was made, but the inclusion of "go swing dancing" at the end, in different pen, would likely put the majority of the list as having been written around the time I graduated from high school, or no later than early in my freshman year of college. Prior to college I was unaware of swing dancing and got into it within a month of two of starting freshman year.
For kicks and giggles, here is the list in it's entirety (exactly as I originally worded it), with notes of what I've accomplished from it:
- Read a romance novel. /I have read a few. I was not impressed.
- Enter one of my really good love poems in a contest or publication. /Done better than that - I have published four stories, which are of way better quality than the above-mentioned angsty love poems.
- Make a Romeo and Juliet collage like Caitlin did. /I don't remember this collage or person at all : ( But I have done a whole bunch of other cool art projects, so we'll say this evens out.
- Walk around downtown or Little 5 and take pictures. /I've taken pictures of cooler, safer places ; )
- Attend or host a murder mystery dinner, preferably set in the 20's. /Not set in the 20's, sadly, but I performed in a murder mystery dinner show.
- Go all out for a costume party - complete with historically-accurate hair and costume (corset if the character calls for it). ie, Marguerite, Ankhesunamun, etc*. /Maybe not truly historically accurate but I have now done this a boatload of times - often with corsets. I'm also not sure why this was on the list, as I did a pretty accurate Egyptian costume in 9th grade and, as mentioned above, I'm fairly sure this list post-dates that party.
- Watch a classic horror movie. /I'm not sure what I meant by "classic" but I've now seen several that could qualify.
- Watch a movie you wanted to see as a kid but didn't - ie, Princess Bride. /Done.
- Watch something Mommy wouldn't approve of - like South Park. /Ha! Done.
- Watch (live) all of the Broadway musicals I can - ie, Scarlet Pimpernel, Phantom of the Opera. /Phantom twice, Rent, Lion King. I'm sure there are more I'm not thinking of right now.
- Go to a nightclub, a karaoke bar, a drive in theatre, and a cafe where they do poetry readings. /Nightclub: I'm not sure what I meant by a "nightclub." I think I was picturing something out of I Love Lucy, though I did go to a discoteque at least once in Russia, so I'm counting that. Karaoke bar: not specifically a karaoke bar, but I've done karaoke several times, so I'm counting it. Drive in theatre: Not yet, sadly. Cafe where they do poetry readings: Stirlings. Amazing how much of this list was checked off at Sewanee : )
- Sit under a tree on a cool fall or spring day and read or just wonder. /Probably. I lived in Sewanee for 6 1/2 years.
- Go on a picnic and take your sketchbook and/or camera. /Not precisely, I don't think.
- Eat a banana split. /No.
- Eat an ice cream sundae with everything - nuts, chocolate, whipped cream, and cherry. /Again, I don't think so.
- Share a milkshake with your boyfriend** with 2 straws. /Again, no. Why I thought there was an age limit on these ice cream-related things is beyond me. I mentioned this one specifically to Jason and he jokingly said, "Too late! You're too old and you don't have a boyfriend." Thanks, dear.
- Try out an outrageous hairdo or outfit you wouldn't normally wear out. /I was a theatre major, so, yeah.
- Write someone a love letter or poem - anonymously, if you're afraid to do it otherwise - and send it to them. /Yeah. Those didn't work out so well...
- Go swing dancing. /Been there, done that, got the shoes.
*Marguerite from The Scarlet Pimpernel. Ankhesunamun was Tutankhamun's wife and I was kind of obsessed with her in high school.
**I did not have a boyfriend at the time of writing this, and would not for several years.
(Also, it is an absolute travesty how good my handwriting was then and how bad it is now.)
The timing of finding this list is kind of odd. If my assessment of when I wrote it is correct, it was the summer I was 18, and I found it in the summer, precisely 18 years later. It's interesting to see what experiences I thought would be important or formative then, which of them I accomplished, and what I still feel is important of formative now. (The fact that I had three "bad for you" food accomplishments listed says a lot about how I will never be thin! ; D )
In all seriousness, though, I think it's very telling to look back at these, see what I wanted to do at 18, and see how much of it was part of my college experience, without actually being something you learn in school.