My Life's Homework

I recently attended the funeral of a very sweet great aunt. She was 99 years old, and until about a year ago, was very active and alert. As I listened to the monsignor talk about her wonderful life I started thinking (as most people do) about my life.

With my 45th birthday still fresh in my mind, I started thinking about what I have done, what I have experienced, and most importantly, what I still want to do. Today, as I sat in Starbucks waiting for son #2 to finish his swim team practice I took out a small notebook and a pen and started scribbling out my life's homework. There are some short term goals as well as some longer term...some will be easy to accomplish, some pretty difficult.

1. I want to actually sit through the entire movie "The Ten Commandments". I always get just past the parting of the Red Sea, then I am out.
2. I want to hike up something that would be classified taller than "a big hill". Not looking at mountain climbing, but a serious hike with some altitude. (not much in Illinois that would qualify)
3. Travel to Glacier Bay
4. Save for a new laptop. My buddy CL has me just about convinced to save for a new MacBook Pro.
5. Reconnect with an old friend that I have lost touch with. I should never had let my relationship with this buddy drift away. He was a good friend growing up. I think he has had some rough times lately.
6. High five a couple of my long distance blog buddies. You know who you are.
7. Retire with my health still good. This is the first of many around work. Work is consuming a lot of my thought lately. I need to change something about it.
8. See my beloved Cubs win the World Series. 100 years is long enough.
9. Write a book. I have lots of stories. It would be cool to compile these into a book.
10. Help one person at work achieve their vision of success, doing all I can to help them overcome the bullsh*t that gets tossed at people trying to accomplish something. I have seen several good people get chewed up and spit out by all the politics.
11. Spend a three day weekend doing nothing but fishing. I used to love to fish.
12. Mail in all the ^%$& rebates I have sitting on my desk.
13. Give my wife the house she has always wanted. We have a pretty old house that has lots of issues (much like George Bailey's).
14. See each of my sons step into adulthood happy. Just want them to be happy.
15. See at least one of my lamo posts generate 500 hits.
16. Get the chance to work from home. I like being home. I like being home when the kids come home from school. I like actually interacting with life during the day. Sitting in a cubicle is not where I want to continue spending 8 hours a day.
17. Donate $1,000 to a worthwhile charity.
18. Walk away from work when I want to.
19. Find that basic, pure spiritual faith I had when I was a kid.
20. Meet my biological mother. Just once. Want to just have a short chat with her. Let her know that I appreciate what she did for me.

Nothing too ground shaking in the list. Just thoughts that popped into my head over the course of two hours, while sipping a Java Chip Frappucino. Java chips are awesome.