THE List

No, there isn't a typo in today's blog title. Because this is THE List of all lists that I'm talking about, or I will be talking about in just a little while.

First, let me say that I love lists. "Hi, my name is the Feistywon and I'm a listaholic." Probably never met or made a list that I didn't like. It just has always seemed to help my brain because to see The List (again as opposed to THE List) made me feel better and then I never had to worry that I would forget something because I could just refer back to The List. Eased my mind because I didn't have to try to remember and probably freed up some space for my brain to work on processing something new. At least that's how I figure it.

So, I have weekly menu lists, grocery shopping lists, ongoing project lists, errands and calls that need to be made lists, books I want to get at the library lists, movies to TIVO lists, present idea lists - the list goes on (ha!). After a particularly painful breakup for the umpteenth time with my first boyfriend after graduating from high school, I wrote a list of what I did and did not want in a future boyfriend/husband. This at age 17 so you can imagine just how deeply ingrained The List is in my life, two decades later.

Now we come to THE List, one that I have been adding to for awhile now though I cannot locate the original written document. You can be sure one will be appearing soon. THE List is of all the things I want to do before I die. V. and my parents all view this as extremely morbid and not at all normal but I guess you can just add that to my perusal of obituaries each day and the fact that I used to eat lunch during my college days in a cemetary. It's not death I'm fascinated with, it's the stories behind each death - what are they known for, what did they enjoy, who did they share life with, and who is going to miss them. I really believe that if you don't have THE List, one day death may sneak up on you unannounced and you'll miss the chance to do the things your heart wanted to do. Because we all know how quickly the days fly by with all the "have to dos" and "should dos", shouldn't we make sure that if there is something we "really want to do", we should do it?

Well, I think yes, abso-fucking-lutely, you should do whatever it is you really want to do! Everyone's list is different but it means no less than anyone else's. Things on my list that I have accomplished are:

• buying a new car on my own
• buying a house on my own
• being happily married
• experiencing pregnancy
• having a child.

Those are pretty major life events so I'm excited that I've accomplished those. Now, I feel as though it's time for some of the fun, wacky things that I haven't experienced yet. Here's the ones on my list so far (but I'm adding them as I think of/discover them):

• Go dog sledding with Siberian Huskies
• Sleep in a tree house
• Visit Italy
• Sleep somewhere where the floor is just a few feet above the ocean

Life is short even though some days feel long and if you don't take the bull by the horns or the cajones, whichever are closer, it may be too late. I don't plan on leaving the land of the living with regrets and THE List helps me sleep at night knowing that I'm taking an active step to safeguard against this. And if this makes me morbid so be it, I've been called worse and as the old Feistywon used to say "Bite me!"