Myriad Ways

Now that I have finished my anatomy and physiology class, I think I will get back to writing about non-human body part subjects, although they are bound to come up now and again since I crammed so much about it into my brain. I thought I would start by reviewing my 101 in 1001 list and see what effects it has had on my life. As I look down the list there are only a few items on it that I accomplished that I wouldn’t have done if they weren’t on the list. I would not have watched those movies in Spanish. Some of the ones I didn’t complete make me think more about how my personality and life circumstances control what I focus my energy on. There is nothing on the list about studying anatomy and physiology or commuting 120 miles a day for 8 months. This list took shape when my life was shaped in a certain way: my life made several major transformations since then and many of the goals kind of fell out of relevance as the situations changed.

I joined a writing group, which really focused my attention on making my writing clearer and more engaging for a broader audience. That was on my list as were a lot of writing goals that did not happen for a lot of reasons mainly a commuting job, illness and lack of motivation. There are some goals that did not happen in the 1001 days that I will chose to continue because they reflect my passions and interests. Many of the writing goals remain though without deadlines at this point.

I, have once and for all, figured out that I am an mostly an introvert most of the items on the list that involve social situations are there to see if I could motivate myself to be more socially oriented, but I am what I am, a person who is able to go out and do tasks in the social realm, but mostly has to have time alone to process and energize. I accomplished some of my social goals, but that did not have much effect on my attitude and comfort level in social situations.

I had several items about moving around using my own power. There  were two items the list inspired me to complete, walking 1001 miles and getting to work by alternative means, but, I was unable to get the bicycling thing together. That was on my list because before I had children and learned how to drive a car at 25, I got around on my bicycle. I easily rode several thousand miles a year for about 5 years. Then, suddenly I had a job, college, and children and almost no time in between to peddle from task to task. So bicycling faded from my life. I wanted to see if I could fit it back in. I am not ready to give up on it, now that we have some money I am going to get my bicycle fixed and ride it. I think it will definitely go on my next more thoughtful list of things to do.

The list has had very little impact on the way I lived over the last 3 years. My employment or unemployment, Mary going through nursing school,  where I live, and my health have had a lot more impact on my choices of activities, but I think one thing the list has done is clarify my focus on what is really important to me by seeing what I have actually kept track of over the 1001 days. I rarely thought of playing the piano and studying Spanish. These may come back into focus for me at some time. But I really did not have the time or motivation for them in the last three years. I would still love to study Spanish and piano, but I don’t think they will make my must do list in the near future.

I would like to find situations in which I have a few close friends, a job that pays well that I enjoy, and a lot of time to explore art in many forms. But, I don’t think a list is going to get me there. I am working on a shorter list of goals that I will add some of my incomplete goals from this list, but mostly I will just feel my way through life sorting my inspirations and events as they come. Lists are like maps, they help me to see where I could go and where I could put my energy. A list won’t be able to predict where I will actually end up. Maybe I will end up in some uncharted realm of monsters and myth, or maybe it will be a few steps from where I am now. I know it will not be a list that gets me there.