At the beginning of each new year a flurry of posts and essays and articles appear bandying about such terms as goals, resolutions, or “things I want to do before I die.” I have given this some thought and will begin a series of posts as I add items. Meanwhile, I am revisting the dreams and goals I have had over the years, a kind of review by decade.
During the first 10 years of my life I wanted to be: a stewardess (flight attendant), a choir director, a spy, a piano player, a drummer, and a “smart” or gifted student. I read voraciously and saw myself as the heroine. I longed to run through meadows, move to the music, and be somebody.
The second ten years were mostly a dark tunnel. I wanted a boy friend, I wanted to be popular, I wanted to have more than 5 daily dresses, one Saturday work dress, and one Sunday dress. I made New Year’s resolutions such as, “go on my first date before the end of this year.” I read voraciously and thought it would be exquisitly wonderful and romantic to go to a malt shop and sip soda through two straws from the same elegant glass with someone of the opposite sex. I felt I ought to be a missionary to a foriegn country and I wanted to be a pastor’s wife. I wanted to graduate from high school. I wanted to play piano for the rest of my life (but I hated to practice). I wished there was some type of automatic composer hooked to my piano so I wouldn’t have to write notes by hand. I wished I was a gifted student without trying and I was a gifted student when it came to music. I wanted to know and be known, to be acknowledged as someone special, to have a kindred spirit friend.
So, how did I do? I started teaching piano at the age of 15, I sang in an excellent choir. I made it to sweet sixteen without being kissed. I married the first guy I dated. I had the opportunity to student direct the choir in prep for college and decided not to go to college.I finished high school and married shortly after my 18th birthday. I thought we were going to be missionaries to a foriegn country or at least ministers in the USA, but he decided to be an atheist.
As for the kindred spirit friend, I had two cousins (one of each gender) who served wisely and loyally in this capacity; when I was not too infatuated or emmeshed with my boyfriend to do my part toward the friendship.
Macka, “Pray, say sorry, say thank you and say I love you,” are great goals.
Jesus said that the law and all the commands were summed up in two things; 1) loving God with all one’s heart and 2) Loving one’s neighbor as oneself. I think you have said that same thing a different way.
As will become apparent in my next post chronicaling the years I was in my twenties – I often had no goals or desires of my own rather than being a helper or tag along with my spouse. Perhaps I felt it useless or impossible to set personal goals when one had constantly to adapt to the professional needs of the head of household. I have recently come to believe that it is OK to have desires, dreams, or “things I want to do” of
my own. Not rigid, ME FIRST, goals; just dreams, thoughful desires and measuring sticks to see how far I have come.
I think this is a great post and a great idea as well… I may just have to latch on to your idea and do one myself… 🙂
I haven’t thought having much things to do before I die but pray, say sorry, say thank you and say I love you. 🙂