Update: Various Comments About Various Things

     I have recently decided that my bucket list is pretty boring. Do I really want to live a boring life? Why aren't there more adventurous, exciting things on this list? Why don't I want to swim with sharks or see the seven natural wonders of the world? Shouldn't I be aspiring to climb Mount Kilimanjaro or submarine down to the wreck that was once the Titanic?

     I thought about it a little bit more, and really I don't need all that much in my life. I don't have the desire to fly to the moon or spend thousands of dollars traveling the world. Yes, I do have certain places that I would love to visit and certain things that I would love to do, but I guess the reason why I want to do these things aren't just so I could say that I did it. It's moreso because that experience is going to mean something to me once I do get around to it. I guess it's the underlying reason for accomplishing something rather than the accomplishment itself that provides a sense of accomplishment.

     Regardless, I decided to stop being such a dried up prune and update my list to make it a bit more interesting. I had a lot of help from some other people's lists, but honestly not much. I guess I am not a risk-taker. Anyways, they are drops 49 to 56.

     Also a little bit about how I recently changed the blog, if there is anybody out there (?). Those items on the bucket list which are completed are now hyperlinked to the blog where I talk about thier completion. A bit of technical awesomeness on my part :-). In addition, I also made my background less depressing. That is all for now!

Drop #47- Conduct a Life Interview with a Family Member

     I would like to talk about this one a little bit.

     Life interviewing is something that I heard of only recently. The concept was developed by psychologist Robert Atkinson from the University of Southern Maine. Basically the concept is to sit down with someone for one or more sessions of however much time you need and record the individual's whole life from birth until present. It can be a stranger or someone that you know well, or maybe someone in your family you don't know well but wish you did. Although it was developed by a psychologist, it isn't a type of therapy. Yeah, it's good practice if you want to work with people, but the goal is to help the person record an account of thier life.

     I would love to do this with a lot of people in my family. I think it's a great opportunity to learn some things about them and my family history that I could have never known otherwise. Most of all, however, I think I would like to do this with my Nana. I really don't know much about her and her life other than who she is today. I would love to learn who she was, and what she did that brought her to this moment in life.

     To learn more about life interviewing, you can visit the Univerity of Maine's website by clicking right here. The website will describe what life interviewing is, some sample questions, and even some life stories that were conducted. There was a book published too that you can get on Amazon if you are seriously considering conducting a life interview.

    On a related note, if you are interested in life stories in general there is a great project by StoryCorps. Booths are set up at various locations in the United States, as well as a traveling booth that goes to various locations. Anybody can interview anybody else about whatever topic they choose, and it gets archived in the Library of Congress. A great way to become familiar with this is to watch some of the animated shorts that StoryCorps has made out of a few of the interviews. Watch some of them here:



StoryCorps Animated Shorts

  

Update: Summer

     This summer was a complete waste of time. I suppose that's what happens, though, when you let your mind get away from you. Anyways, I didn't really get a lot accomplished on this list... nothing even close to what I wanted to do. But, it's fall semester now, and it's time to refocus myself and remember my goals in life. So, here's an update on what I wanted to accomplish vs. what I actually did accomplish:

1. Paint a really incredible painting- I would have been happy with a simple rough draft of this. Didn't happen. 

2. Catch up on all my bills- Got some of this accomplished, no thanks to me.

8. Learn Vietnamese- Didn't learn any Vietnamese this summer.

13. Have a successful garden- I had good intentions with this! Unfortunately I was gone way too much this summer so my garden went from growing successfully to a weed garden. 
15. Become fluent in Spanish- Nope

18. Cut my hair short and give it to a hair charity- I wanted to do this over the summer, but my best friend is getting married next September and I'm the maid of honor. She wants me to keep my hair long for the wedding. She's right- long hair for weddings is so pretty :-). I'll cut it in a year or so.

32. Go scuba diving- I did this!!!! Completed!!! Did it in St. John USVI and it was amazinggggg.....
33. Jump off a cliff in to water- It isn't too late to do this, but I don't think I'll be getting to it this summer....
40. Read the Bible (Including old testament) and Quran. - Yeah.... No.......

41. Send a postcard in to PostSecret- Actually I think I will make the time to do this in the next week or so. Haven't done it yet though

     Soooooo That's what I accomplished from my list this summer.... basically nothing. Very disappointed in myself. But, Like I said before, I just need to refocus. Update next week.