Have you ever considered what you might do differently if you learned that your next year would be your last?
Before I turned 25, I was haunted by the idea that it would be my last. Maybe it was my naturally dramatic leanings. Maybe it was my work (I was working in an HIV / AIDS clinic in Washington, D.C. at the time.) Maybe it was the idea of a quarter of a century passing. Whatever the reason, I turned 25 and threw a helluva party. (Those of you who knew me from the shared house in Mount Pleasant may even remember it. Of course, that may be vanity speaking.)
But, looky, I lived to tell the tale!
And now?
Tick, tock, boom?
That I have enjoyed all of the precious years in between doesn’t mean that I’ve placed aside all the doom and gloom of my youth. If anything, growing older – now 46, for those who are counting – has meant being aware of every precious moment.
And a growing fear that I am wasting each of them.
There’s television. And movies. And dinners out. And a lot of drinking. And there’s all kinds of social media: Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, YouTube, Facebook.
Ahem.
Wastebook?
As you all know, I really love Facebook. It’s been an amazing place of discovery for me. So many of you are sharing the riches of your life, family, and thinking. It is truly awe-inspiring.
And, of course, I have loved sharing myself with all of you! (There’s that vanity again!)
So, with both my love of life and my love of community in mind, I am going to share with you my latest bit of life-affirming madness.
(I know, right? Get to the point, Tammi!)
What exactly, woman, are you trying to say?
One of my Christmas gifts was delivered in a nicely designed blue bag. See the picture. I have turned that bag into a little challenge bag. Into it, I have slipped 52 random themes. Just in a quick draw, I just pulled out WATER, CRAFTS, and STABILITY.
The idea is this. Once per week, I will pull out a challenge. If WATER, then in the next week, I have to either learn something new or do something unusual involving WATER. I haven’t been for a swim in years. How the hell was H2O discovered? Is there an art exhibit or lecture or seminar on water conservation this week? What about water skiing? What about writing a short story involving water? What about an entire week just devoted to the thrill of rediscovering water in all of these ways?
Well, you get the idea.
Here’s where you ask, what’s in it for me?
Maybe some of you would like to join me?
If 2015 Were My Last (hereafter referred to in Twitterspeak as #2015if) can be a year of discovery for you too. Maybe you have been needing your own little prompt. Maybe you have your own little bag of “I shoulds” that you have been meaning to explore. Maybe having friends with whom to share the journey is what you’ve been needing.
Each week, I’m going to post a little photo here with the week’s theme. To make it easy, for me – did I mention that I’m growing older? — it will be the actual week number as shown to me on my delightful online calendar. Since we are already in week one of the new year now, here’s the image:
(Oooh, I have been meaning to register for a cooking class for a while …)
Sunday is the start of every new week, so I will post a new image (and a report!) every Sunday. (See! That means I have to blog too! Excellent!)
If I am lucky, I will be able to count some 52 interesting journeys, explorations, and detours that lead me into 2016. If I am unlucky …
Well, come on, let’s start with enjoying today, shall we?
