personal, ramblings

Things What I Want To Do

No not another of those lists of 100 impossible things you’re supposed to (want to) do before you die; there’s one of them on my website already. No, this is an actual, real list!

I don’t know how many years ago it was that I first made myself a list of things I wanted to do/achieve in this life, but it was well over 10 years ago although at that time I hadn’t formalised it. Interestingly it doesn’t seem to have changed a lot over the years although I do add odd things.

And I never called it “Things to do Before I Die” but “Sometime I’ll Do …” which somehow seemed less doom-laden and more aspirational.

I’ve achieved (✔) quite a few (though not yet 50%) and I know I’ve failed (✖) on a handful.

Out of interest I thought I would share my list. It probably says some highly significant and interesting things about me! So …

Sometime I’ll Do …

  • Lead a funeral celebration (not my own!) ✔
  • Celebrate my 80th birthday in good health
  • Celebrate my mother’s 100th birthday with her
  • Fly on Concorde ✖
  • Fly on flight-deck of a commercial airliner
  • Have acupuncture
  • Be honoured for something
  • Have hypnotherapy ✔
  • Get a piercing ✔
  • Get a tattoo
  • Go on London Eye ✔
  • Have a nudist holiday
  • Heal my father and his rift with his family ✖
  • Invest in penny shares (not that I need to; the value of what I do have is so low!)
  • Learn to dowse ✔
  • Learn MS Access
  • Learn Photoshop properly
  • Try yoga
  • Practice dowsing properly
  • Publish a book on Anthony Powell
  • Retire ✔
  • Retire in financial comfort ✖
  • Reunite with my Aunt & Uncle (my father’s siblings) ✔
  • Travel on Eurostar ✔

  • Travel across Europe on the Orient Express
  • Try zazen
  • Visit Bluebell Railway
  • Visit Iceland
  • Visit Japan
  • Visit Norway
  • Visit Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Railway ✔
  • Visit Scilly Isles
  • Visit Sweden
  • Visit USA ✔
  • Visit West Somerset Railway
  • Visit the London Aquarium ✔
  • Win £1M+ on Lottery (or equivalent)
  • Write a book ✔
  • Do past life regression under hypnotherapy
  • Prove my family history back to Tudor times and find an armigerous ancestor

Some things are dependent on others: like there is no way I’ll be able to afford the Orient Express unless I win the Lottery first. And I won’t visit Iceland, Norway or Japan until they change their stance on whaling. Some of the things are unlikely to ever happen and some are out of my control. But one can dream, and I guess at least some part of this is just about dreams!

Dare you share your list?