Things I'd Like To Do Before I Die

So tonight I thought I'd list some things I'd like to do before I die. I'm making this list mainly because I'm curious to see how it changes over time. So here goes the list, in no particular order.

I'd like to go skydiving. I'm curious to find out if I could actually jump out of an airplane. And if I could, I'd like to know if I'd have the courage to just relax and enjoy the fall or if I'd be hyperventilating the whole way down. Either way, I figure that, unless I plummeted to the earth and exploded like a watermelon a la a Gallagher comedy routine, I'd be really happy to be back on the ground.

I'd like to publish a children's story. I've already written one that I really like. I wrote it in college. I even started illustrating it. Unfortunately, I've never completed illustrating it. Perhaps I'll make the time to finish it next year.

I'd like to get a black belt in judo and compete in tournaments. To be honest I don't even care how good I am or if I win consistently. I'm more interested in two things:

- Developing a better sense of my own body. I'd like to develop a better intuitive sense of my physical presence in the world and come to grips with my physical strengths and weaknesses.

- Doing something that requires some physical courage. There isn't a lot that happens to me anymore that requires me to show some physical courage, and for some reason, I miss it. I really don't know why because I remember how I used to feel the icy hand of fear gripping my stomach every time I got in a fight or thought I was going to get into one. Nonetheless, I miss it. Not the fighting, the ability to tamp down my fear and do what's gotta be done.

There's more to the list, but I'm running out of time tonight. Maybe I'll continue it later this week.