Blimey, time speeds up as you get older. I can remember standing at my parents back door with Bev (my wife) and watching the skies light up with fireworks as the Millennium began. It is hard to believe that that was an entire decade ago!
The last few years have been a bit shitty for us – apart from the birth of our son Oscar – its been one thing after another. My career has stalled – I am now entering the 6th year of my PhD (am I the oldest student in the world!) I had an accident which has left me with a ruined left foot, necessitating a walking stick, and impending surgery. Worst of all, Bev’s Depression has returned with a vengeance, which has made things very difficult for all of us.
In fact, the only positive thing that has happened to us in the last five or six years is the birth of Oscar. It took us ten years to conceive him and somethimes I think we may have used up all of our good luck on him and now we have to put up with a decade of shitty luck. (It was still worth it.)
So what to do…be positive I suppose.
I am on the waiting list for Gastric Band surgery sometime in the next 6 – 10 months, which should improve my situation, physically at least. I am also going to have surgery on my foot in the not too distant future, which is also good news. I have an interview on the 20th to get on a teaching course, which will hopefully get my career back on path. I am also getting on with my phD…which is all positive.
One other thing I need to address is my personal aspirations, and hopefully reconcile them with my present commitments. What do I mean? Well, when I was younger, I used to be quite adventurous. I travelled, a lot, I have lived and worked all over the US. I hitch-hiked to Paris at 16, visited Australia at 15. I used to be in a band, I used to go to festivals…in fact, I used to do a lot of things I no longer do.
I stopped doing a lot of things, because, like most people, I grew up, I got a degree, started a family, started up the career ladder – non of which I regret, (well, maybe the degree,) but I do regret loosing some of the swagger I used to have…and I think its time to get some of it back.
How to do that? Well, the way I look at it, I am 35 now, and, if I am lucky, I have 50 years left on this rock… That’s 50 years in which to live life and achieve something worthwhile…So I have begun making a list, a list of 50 things I want to achieve before I die. Some of them I have always wanted to do, others are new. The list is no0t complete, but it will be soon, and when it is, I am going to get it tattooed onto be body, crossing off each thing as I do it… maybe I will tattoo each thing as I do it…
This is what I have so far:
1. Loose weight, (and maintain it)
2. Complete Doctorate
3. Write and publish a book
4. Qualify as a teacher
5. Visit Pyramids
6. Visit China
7. Visit Russia (and the Trans-Siberian Railway)
8. Learn to ride a horse
9. Get a black belt in Karate (not my style)
10. Pass HGV test
11. Build a custom motorbike Customise a motorbike
12. Have another child (a daughter please!)
13. Learn the piano (and perform)
14. Visit Antarctica
15. Do a stand up routine
16. Learn to sail
17. Get a tatoo of this list
18. Take part in a boxing match
19. Learn another language
20. Run my own business
21. Complete a marathon
22. Live long enough to witness the discovery of alien life
23. Be elected to office
24. Argue a case in court
25. Build a house
26. Save a life
27. Act in a film/play
28. Take part in a car race
29. Drive coast to coast in US
30. Climb Uluru
31. Walk the Appellation Trail
I’m still working on it…
