Thursday, April 25, 2013

Stuff I have done

Sometimes, I focus too much on the things I want to do, the things I would like to see, and the way I would like things to be.  I forget the things I have accomplished already.  I decided for this post to list 100 noteworthy things I have already accomplished in my life.

  1. I have danced on my toes in pink satin slippers.  It looked lovely, but yes, it did hurt.
  2. I have flossed daily for about 15 years.  I can't even remember the last time I forgot to floss. 
  3. I have lived in a house with five bedrooms, two baths, and 11 people.  
  4. I cooked and cleaned for those 11 people, when it was my turn.  (I don't miss those days.) 
  5. I learned to sew.  I sewed a few dresses that vanished long ago, and one skirt that is still my favorite (since 1998) that I wear more than any other skirt.  
  6. I have climbed to the tops of several mountains. 
  7. I have hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon. 
  8. I have given up hiking, realizing that it gives me a migraine.  
  9. I have driven miles and miles and hours and hours across the Nevada deserts.  
  10. I have written programs in C, C++, and Java.  
  11. I have forgotten how to program, but I will learn again.
  12. I have painted with oils, watercolors, and acrylics.  I like oil paints the best, but they are the most expensive (it figures).  
  13. I have planted tulips, tomatoes, and onions.  
  14. I've grown the bushes, picked the berries, and made my own jam.  Although really the bushes grew themselves.  
  15. I have vacuumed.
  16. I have also laundered, often.
  17. I have read hundreds of books, if not thousands.
  18. I have scrap-booked.  But not recently.  
  19. I have learned to knit, and forgotten, and learned again, and forgotten again.
  20. I have carried on a conversation in a language that is not my native tongue.  
  21. I have played the first movement of a piano concerto from memory.  
  22. I have touched my toes with my knees unbent.
  23. I have learned to whistle.  
  24. I can tell time on an analog clock.
  25. I have run a 5K.  Do not inquire as to my timing.
  26. I have fixed a flat tire on my bicycle.  
  27. I have driven a stick shift.
  28. I have purchased stocks, bonds, and mutual funds.  
  29. I have lived a year as an adult without a car.
  30. I can fill in a map with 50 states.  
  31. I have taught children, weekly.
  32. I have taught adults, daily.
  33. I have sung alto in a choir.  
  34. I have also sung tenor.  But never soprano or bass.
  35. I have given haircuts.
  36. And twisted hair into French braids.  
  37. I have written grant proposals.
  38. And have been awarded grant money.
  39. I have paid taxes in four states and two countries.  
  40. I have done the splits.  Several years ago.  
  41. I have written two novels, though I have published zero. 
  42. I have recited poetry from memory.  
  43. I have had braces.
  44. And glasses.
  45. I have darned socks.  But you know it makes much more sense to just buy new ones.  (What a wasteful society we live in!)
  46. I have cleaned a refrigerator.
  47. And baked a cake.
  48. I touched my tongue to my nose.
  49. I learned to dance the Charleston, and wore a flapper dress.  (What became of my flapper dress?)
  50. I have integrated, differentiated, and taken limits.
  51. I have written essays, and discussed literature.
  52. I have had my wisdom teeth pulled.  
  53. I have discovered all the heart pieces in Majora's Mask.
  54. I have read the entire Bible, and many of the works of Shakespeare.  (But not all the histories.)
  55. I have designed and created a web page.
  56. I have tied a quilt.
  57. And patched the knees of jeans.
  58. I have learned to swim.  
  59. And I swam in the Great Salt Lake.
  60. I hold the family high score on Tony Hawk's skate boarding game.  
  61. And I beat Mike Tyson's Punch Out.
  62. I have held my breath for 60 seconds.  
  63. I have canned fruit.
  64. I have sealed grout.  
  65. And eaten clotted cream with scones in Cornwall.  
  66. I have been in a canoe, a sailboat, and a motor boat.  
  67. I have taken an overnight train.
  68. I learned to type.  
  69. I spoke at ninth grade promotion. 
  70. I attended prom.
  71. And I have kissed a boy.
  72. I have hung pictures. 
  73. And curtains.  And curtain rods.  
  74. I have graduated.  Four times.  
  75. And I have attended graduation more times.  
  76. I have counted by sevens to 1400.  
  77. I have added fractions.  
  78. And written online quizzes.
  79. I have mowed and weeded and mulched.  
  80. I have slept through my alarm.  
  81. I have published research.  
  82. I have eaten escargot.
  83. And sushi, in Japan.
  84. And pasta in Italy.
  85. I have seen a bear, a coyote, and many many bison in Yellowstone. 
  86. I have parallel parked.
  87. I have donated food and clothing and money.
  88. I have sewn patches.  
  89. I have asked for and given directions.  
  90. I have supervised student theses.  
  91. I have attended group meetings.  
  92. I have boogie boarded in Oregon, California, and Hawaii.
  93. I have built a sandcastle.  And a sand turtle.  And other sand things.  
  94. I have had my picture on the front of a flyer.  
  95. And my name on the back of a program. 
  96. I have curled my tongue.  
  97. And cleaned my teeth.
  98. And captured the flag.
  99. I have overcome failure.
  100. And today, I won an award from the faculty women's association.
Life is pretty complete.

1 comment:

Equinox said...

Congratulations to you, great lady! Award (and accomplishments) well-deserved! Thank you for the positive post that encouraged readers to think of their own great things!