Unfinished lists

Someone asked if I had any "before I'm 40" goals to wrap up.

I once had a boyfriend who, as we were getting to know one another, proclaimed me a "late bloomer". It may sound offensive, but it wasn't. He was reacting to the fact that I've done things I wanted to do, but perhaps not as soon in life as everyone in my circle of acquaintances.

For instance, I didn't drive until I was 21. Also, I didn't live on campus my first year of college. Frankly, I had zero money, and it just wasn't an option(dorm life). For my sophomore year, we worked it out that I could get more student aid, and so I did get to have some of those campus resident experiences I'd hoped for. I consider myself extremely lucky to have had the chance to go to college at all. It was the first step toward the life I have today.

I feel lucky to have the home and family that I have, and that for the past 10 years I have been able to work part time(thank you Diane, and Chip, wherever you are). Working part time has made such a difference in quality of life for myself and my family, that I can't imagine doing it any other way. I'll probably never have the new Jeep Liberty I have my eye on, and the 4 bedroom center hall colonial isn't looking very likely right now, but overall I'm feeling like I should not be greedy.

I'm the queen of to-do-lists. I love 'em. Well, I like making them, not necessarily finishing them. The simple answer to the original question is: No, for some reason, I never did make a list of "things to do before I'm 40." But I have a list now...

It is a general list in the back of my mind, of things I'd like to do someday. It includes visiting all 50 states, ( and doing something unique in each one, like kneeling under the desk in the oval office... KIDDING....), cooking with a tv chef, hiking up one of the Adirondack moutains(gotta get myself in better shape first), visiting Italy, owning a canoe, taking my kids to a Yankee game, parasailing, singing onstage in a large arena (backup will be just fine), putting a piece of jewelry that I've made onto a celebrity(and not seeing it on Go Fug Yourself), taking up watercolor painting again, learning to play piano.

Those are all more or less mini-adventures, or enhancing hobbies I've already dabbled in. In my next 40 years my main "to-do" is to do the best I can to help my children, while they hopefully grow up to be useful adults with a semi-normal job and a family and home of their own and friends that they adore. That's it. I just want them to be "successful" in terms of their relationships, and their day to day life. Not wildly, phenomenally successful, necessarily, but just happy.

Like me.