The Bag-It List
Monday, March 22nd, 2010It’s been a long hiatus from the last time I blogged and a million and ten things have happened since then but with some more time on my hands, and stuff on my mind, I feel like I need to rediscover this writing outlet of mine to help provide some sanity in my otherwise insane life. Since my last post, I’ve gotten married, pregnant, and lost my job which all deserve their own posts someday.
What prompted me to write this time was the L.A. Marathon that just happened yesterday. I know a handful of people who have already ran or are training to run a marathon (or several marathons). While I commend and congratulate them on an accomplishment so great, I can’t say that I’ve ever had a desire to run one. I think that “running a marathon” is definitely one of the more popular things you’ll find on people’s “bucket lists.” Everyone’s heard of the “bucket list” a.k.a. the list of things you want to do in you life before you die/kick the bucket. I think it’s more of a glorified to-do list or New Year’s resolution on steroids.
I have to admit, I don’t even have one since (maybe this is my glass-half-empty part speaking) it can just lead to feelings of failure and disappointment. So because of that, I’m making up a new list, the “bag-it list” if you will, that is the exact opposite of the “bucket list.” The “bag-it list” are the things that are frequently seen on other people’s “bucket lists” that you personally have no desire to accomplish in your lifetime. The good thing about this list is that if you happen to complete an item on it, it doesn’t really go against you. It just means you did something you never thought you’d ever do, so hey, good for you! Since there’s less motivation to get things crossed-off, it’s really the perfect don’t-do list that provides little to no pressure in your already stress-filled lives. With that, here are the top 5 things on my “bag-it list” that will hopefully give you that extra push to create your own and never achieve anything from it.
Run a Marathon
Like I’ve said before, this is one thing that I’ve never had an inkling of interest in doing. Even with the throngs of people of have told me “you can do it” and “it’s the greatest feeling of accomplishment ever” I just know I won’t enjoy the training and preparation you must do for it. I even used to be a runner where my longest competitive run was a 10k. Sure I enjoyed it, and yes you get that feeling of euphoria when crossing the finish line but I think that’s where my limit stands. I don’t want to experience the proverbial “hitting the wall” at mile 23 or developing blisters and aches where I didn’t know I had body parts. They say “never say never” but I reply back with “I’ll NEVER be running a marathon.”
SCUBA Diving (to a lesser extent Surfing)
While I love the beach, I don’t really love the water portion of it. I see all the enchantment that sea life and the ocean has to offer, but I’m perfectly fine with finding that at an aquarium. I’ve had friends and even my husband become licensed to SCUBA dive and witness sea creatures up close and personal but the thought of diving hundreds of feet below the ocean’s surface gives me shivers down mine spine. I also think it may have something to do with my minor claustrophobia, me not being a great swimmer, and what if your air tank breaks, or you get the bends…you get the drift. It’s just not going to happen, ever.
Become a Good Cook
The irony is that my mom is an AMAZING cook and she enjoys it. Apparently cooking isn’t something passed down the gene pool. When I watched Julie & Julia, while I admired what the two inspiring women were doing, I didn’t have that excitement that an avid chef would have watching the flick. A ton of people do find joy in cooking, I’m just not one of them.
Do A Lot of Traveling
Luckily for me, I grew up with parents who really liked to travel. I’ve gotten my fair share of passport stamps because of this but I was oftentimes too young to appreciate it. As I’ve grown older, the more times I go out of the country, the more I value what I have at home and I can’t help but get homesick when I’m away. I definitely loved my trip to Asia with the Moretskys and my (mis)adventures in Peru, but as I settle into marriage and impending motherhood, I don’t see myself being a world traveler and definitely don’t see me dragging my kid(s) along for the ride like my parents had. I’ll likely stay more in the confines of the U.S. and travel to exotic locales like Hawaii and Canada if I’m feeling extra adventurous with my own family.
Have a Large Brood of Kids
My sister reminded me recently that I once told her that I never really had this mothering/motherly instinct and that having children wasn’t a top priority in my life. I totally realize this can sound very wrong as I write with a growing fetus inside me but the point I’m making is that reproducing wasn’t the end-all be-all for me, like some women I know who were born to become mothers. I know I’ll be a good and loving mom and I’m sure the motherly instincts will kick in when they have to so I’m not too worried about that. But from the looks of how I’m dealing with the first trimester of this pregnancy, there will not be some large clan of kids in my future. I’ll leave that drama for Kate, Octo-Mom, and the Duggars and I’ll settle for ONE happy, healthy, bouncing baby boy/girl.
