Living life: Things you must do, before...

[OldDawg]

you can alter the conclusion of "before" as you wish...
before you die (like the movie "Bucket List")
before you marry
before you have kids
before you enter your career
before whatever.

This thread is the result of dialogue on the "theories and questions" thread between Bill the Butcher and I. I thought it deserved its own thread and would love to read everyone's ideas.

[Bill the Butcher]

Excellent move, OldDawg... excellent move...

[OldDawg]

I think the "who you do it with" is likely more important than what you do.

For Bill the Butcher: things to do in my 20s:

These are activities:
1) Whitewater rafting with great friends (I did that last week and twice in my 20s)
2) Hike the Grand Canyon with great friends (have never done this)
I have a friend who is nearly 60 who does this every spring with a group of guys.
You must train for this.
3) Underwater scuba diving (have never done this)
4) Do a triathalon (did a small one in my 20s) requires pretty intense training
5) Run at least a 10K road race (maybe annually) (Did this, wish I'd kept it up)
6) Run one marathon (in my 20's I coulda done this if I had set my mind to it, never did)
7) Travel westward (see the Grand Canyon, Mt Rushmore, Yellowstone, etc) (Never did this)
When my dad graduated from high school in 1948, he and a buddy hopped in a Jeep and
just headed west to see that part of the country. To me, that is awesome.

Career. Find a career that is rewarding to you. I chose to be a teacher/coach. It is not always easy. It has many challenges. It does not pay great. But I love working with kids. I love trying to make a difference. It is what keeps me feeling young.

[swerb]

~Visit Italy
~See Cleveland sports title
~Bed Scarlett Johannson

[hermanfontenot]

I want to spend six months in Nome, Alaska, and write a book about the Nome-Beltz Nanooks high-school boys basketball team. Think "Friday Night Lights" crossed with "Ice Road Truckers."

[OldDawg]

~Visit Italy
~See Cleveland sports title
~Bed Scarlett Johannson

Shame is, you only have control over one of those.
Hope you enjoy Italy!

And BTW, does your wife ever visit TCF forums as a guest????

[Naxos]

~ Visit Germany
~ Invent something
~ See a Cleveland sports championship
~ Serve in the military - I think everyone should perform public service of some sort before being allowed to vote.

[swerb]

~Visit Italy
~See Cleveland sports title
~Bed Scarlett Johannson

Shame is, you only have control over one of those.
Hope you enjoy Italy!

And BTW, does your wife ever visit TCF forums as a guest????

I don't even think she knows how to log on to the front page of the site OD.

[RC]

Lets see:

See a Cleveland Sports title (preferably Browns, Cavs, Indians in that order)
Make a million dollars
Travel to Europe/Mediterrian cruise
Go to all 50 states in the USA
Learn to play a music instrument well (I try on the drums but the well part is still hard to grasp)

Things I've already done:
Meet and marry the love of my life (had to take a mulligan on the first wife oops.....but got it right the second time)
Have children
Be college educated (first in my family to earn a bachelors degree)
Went bungee jumping

[OldDawg]

Went bungee jumping

Never done that.

Who has gone sky diving???? Does that belong on the list? I never have. Not sure I have any desire to do so.

I wouldn't mind a spelunking trip. (Cave/cavern exploration)
Considered doing that this summer.

[idoctribefan]

See a Cleveland sports championship (Indians, Browns, Cavs in that order of preference).
Play golf on an iconic golf course (Pebble Beach, Augusta, etc)
Retire while my body is still capable of playing 18 holes of golf every day.
Own a winter home in the south, and a summer home in NE Ohio.

[hebner20]

i think Bill the butcher or whoever asked the original question was looking more for advice from someone that has "been there before". Of course i may be totally off base but i think he was looking for things like the following: (some i agree with some i don't doesn't matter which ones they are)

In no particular order.

1) Always spend more for quality because you will never regret it.
2) Find a job that you enjoy and you will never work a day again in your life.
3) Happy wife, happy life.
4) Set realistic goals and do your best, if you fail you probably did better than without setting goals.
5) Live on 80% of what you make save 10% give away 10%.
6) Never/Always get the extended warranty.
7) Change your oil every 3,000 miles.
8) Take care of your teeth and they will take care of you.
9) Always try to cut your grass on thursdays to minimize the days you need to cut your grass on the weekend.
10) Learn how to cook 10 things reasonably well.
11) It is always better to build bridges than burn them.
12) Learn how to sew a button on pants/shirt.
13) Know how to tie a necktie.
14) Play by the rules. They are probably for your benefit.
15) The poor man probably isn't lazy and the rich man probably isn't ripping you off.
16) Believe in God - Pascal's Wager (look it up)
17) Only buy on credit cards what you can pay off when the bill arrives next month.
18) Acknowledge a person's birthday with a note, card, e-mail etc. it sets you apart from the crowd. Most people don't get recognized much and will appreciate it.
19) Pick a hobby that you can enjoy the rest of your life.
20) Learn how to eat a well balanced diet and exercise regularly so you can achieve item 19.
21) Don't let the "good" crowd out the "best" when making choices in your life.
22) Seek guidance from people you respect.
23) Have a mentor and be a mentor.
24) Be well versed in a variety of topics and interests. i.e. Not just football to baseball but football to poetry. It helps with the chicks and in business and makes you a more interesting person.
25) Learn how to fix minor things around the house - unclog a sink, hang vinyl siding, change a faucet, put up shelves in closet/garage, change a light fixture, lay shingles etc.

[Bill the Butcher]

i think Bill the butcher or whoever asked the original question was looking more for advice from someone that has "been there before". Of course i may be totally off base but i think he was looking for things like the following: (some i agree with some i don't doesn't matter which ones they are)...

Thank you, hebner. Your list is excellent.

[The Tribe Zone]

7) Travel westward (see the Grand Canyon, Mt Rushmore, Yellowstone, etc) (Never did this)
When my dad graduated from high school in 1948, he and a buddy hopped in a Jeep and
just headed west to see that part of the country. To me, that is awesome.

Having done this, I gotta say, Just Frickin Do It! So much history. Been out west probably a dozen times and still have a ton to see I havent yet...

Always liked Pikes Peak too.....Somewhere around 2/3 the way up you drive through the clouds......Last time I was there at the top, the airs so thin it took awhile before the dizziness left me...cool they race the road to the top also...You miss a turn, they will hear you scream for a long time....

Hoover Dam is pretty awesome.

On the ride out there stop in St.Louis and ride to the top of the Arch....

Royal Gorge (the suspension bridge) is pretty freaky.....you can walk or drive over it......

The Badlands are pretty awesome...Rushmore was cool. Your driving along looking at the scenery and suddenly there it is.....

Their carving a Crazy Horse Monument also in the Black Hills......that's a good 1-2-3 hour stop.

Seriously......find a way to get out west and see the country.

[stonepm]

Y'all have some great lists! Tribe Zone is right, DRIVE ACROSS THE COUNTRY. It is beautiful and rewarding. I did the northern half (Montana, WY, SD) last year and plan on doing the southern half (AZ, NM, CA) next year. But I found out you just have to "do it", you can't put it off till later cuz there might not be a later. I've done (what I consider at least) some pretty memorable things in my life: I've been thrown out of a bar in Poland (the country, not Poland, OH), vandalized the Berlin Wall, Hiked in the Alps, went "noodling" in SC, and hiked portions of the Appalachian Trail in 7 states. I've been fishing in some of the most beautiful areas in North America. I've seen BB games @ Wrigley, Fenway, Yankee Stadium and PNC. And I have golfed on a couple of courses that I had no business even setting foot on (Cog Hill, Firestone and the upper course @ Peak n Peek) I am currently planning a trip to Tanzania in Africa cuz they have cool animals and Mt. Kilamanjaro. My point is, you can't just talk about it, you have to get in the mindset that you are going to do it no matter what. But I gotta say, the most gratfying thing I've done and could ever do in my life was not even on my list. That's being with my girlfriend's 2 kids. Everyday is an adventure with them. I learn more from them than anything else.

I saw a shirt once that said "Live your life like you're gonna die tomorrow, but act like you're going to live forever." It kinda stuck in my head.

[jack_tors]

I have had one of these lists for years, mostly for motivational purposes. Its something I can strive to do and although I have only completed one of these so far, others are in progress.

1. Visit all 50 states
2. See all 32 Major League Baseball Teams
3. See the Dallas Stars play a home game
4. Watch a Professional Cleveland team win a Championship
5. Make a Hole In One
6. Bowl a 300 game
7. Win more then $20 from an instant lottery ticket(done)
8. Learn photography
9. Write or make a movie
10. Learn how to fix up an old car
11. Compete in an Adventure Race
12. Take a road trip for a week without planning it
13. See a baseball game in Fenway Park
14. See a baseball game in Yankee Stadium
15. Learn how to cook like a chef
16. Mountain bike for more then 50 miles on one ride
17. See a hockey game in Edmonton, Canada
18. Learn how to play the piano
19. Win a hand of poker with a royal straight flush
20. Build a mountain bike from the frame up
21. Take a ride on a zip line
22. Learn how to use a topographical map & compass for
navigation

[Naxos]

Climb a mountain.

Did this yesterday for the third time. I enjoy hiking and do not do it near enough but the sense of accomplishment each time, the isolation (depending on the mountain and trail), and the view; change the way you think about things after each hike/climb.

[FUDU]

I think everyone needs to be in a fight. Not suggesting one goes out looking to fight for the sake of fighting, but I think as a young person getting into a fight over something you take serious at the time can add a good perspective to one's life and help a person understand there are thing worth fighting for and things not. When I say fight though I mean the typical harmless fight you get in when you are 13-16 years old, take some punches give some punches and walk away with a black eye or busted up mouth or nose, not some crazy fight to the death.

[OldDawg]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/w ... l?bcnn=yes

[OldDawg]

How about those guys (possible a father and son) who spend a summer seeing a MLB ballgame in every ballpark in the country. That sounds kinda cool.

This is even better: Once a year, travel to see a college football game, with all the pregame festivities, in one of the most storied programs around: OSU, LSU, UF, ND, Mich (only if they're playing the bucks), Penn State, etc.

[Guest]

Motorcycle trip across country.
Spend a month train hopping across Europe.
Year long sabbatical in Ireland.
Visit New Zealand and Austrailia.
Golf at Pinehurst #2, Pebble Beach, Torrey Pines, and St. Andrews Olde Course.
See my granddaughter graduate college (she's 3 months old now).

[peeker643]

Motorcycle trip across country.
Spend a month train hopping across Europe.
Year long sabbatical in Ireland.
Visit New Zealand and Austrailia.
Golf at Pinehurst #2, Pebble Beach, Torrey Pines, and St. Andrews Olde Course.
See my granddaughter graduate college (she's 3 months old now).

How is she Mitch?

[Guest]

Motorcycle trip across country.
Spend a month train hopping across Europe.
Year long sabbatical in Ireland.
Visit New Zealand and Austrailia.
Golf at Pinehurst #2, Pebble Beach, Torrey Pines, and St. Andrews Olde Course.
See my granddaughter graduate college (she's 3 months old now).

How is she Mitch?

She's had a good couple of weeks. Still hopeful that she'll finally be able to come home by Christmas.

[peeker643]

Motorcycle trip across country.
Spend a month train hopping across Europe.
Year long sabbatical in Ireland.
Visit New Zealand and Austrailia.
Golf at Pinehurst #2, Pebble Beach, Torrey Pines, and St. Andrews Olde Course.
See my granddaughter graduate college (she's 3 months old now).

How is she Mitch?

She's had a good couple of weeks. Still hopeful that she'll finally be able to come home by Christmas.

Thoughts and prayers sir. To the whole bunch of you guys.