Goals
I find it all to easy to let my life drift by. I sit with good people and drink beer. And the days become weeks, the months become years. Its pleasant but I am terrified of looking back and not having done much. So I have to set goals. 10 year plans. Things I must do before [insert age here]. And I don’t always do them all, but I have a reasonable success rate. For 30 there was scuba diving, a new career (which didn’t work out but I gave it a go), seeing the mountain gorillas, going in a hot air balloon and some other stuff I cant remember or was to kinky to relate here. The goals for 40 included doing a parachute jump, Cycling from John O’Groats to Lands End, Hiking into Machu Pichu, swimming in the Amazon, a whole bunch of stuff.
So, now I’m 40 and over the worst of the shock/hangover/depression. Time to line up some goals for the big 50.
1. Walk the coast to coast. I started this once but for reasons to complicated to relate here never finished it. That annoys me so its on the list. I’m walking the west highland way with my Bro next year and if I hate that I may change my mind on this.
2. Publish a book. This was on the list for 30 and for 40 and I never did it. It doesn’t have to be a good book. Or in any way successful. Just so long as it gets published with my name in big writing on the cover.
3. Cycle from Hanoi to Saigon. This just popped into my head & sounds cool. My not-sister always tells me how great Vietnam is so I’m gonna give this a go sometime in the next ten years.
4. Horse ride in an African game park. Tough this as (i) they have a 14 stone weight restriction and I’m well over that and (ii) I can’t ride for toffee and most require you to be a decent rider. Still, diet & riding lessons. It can be done.
5. Build a wildlife pond that has newts. Of course, since UK newts are protected I have to rely on them finding the pond but I’m sure they will.
6. Visit the Watt temples of Cambodia. Because everybody should.
So, there’s a few. I’m open to suggestions but no dangerous sports please – I’ve done my share & I’m 40 and wiser now.
Of course. I am currently mortgaging myself to the hilt to buy my big garden with old house (some work needed) attached, so I have no way to finance any of this. But hell, a mans gotta have dreams.
So, now I’m 40 and over the worst of the shock/hangover/depression. Time to line up some goals for the big 50.
1. Walk the coast to coast. I started this once but for reasons to complicated to relate here never finished it. That annoys me so its on the list. I’m walking the west highland way with my Bro next year and if I hate that I may change my mind on this.
2. Publish a book. This was on the list for 30 and for 40 and I never did it. It doesn’t have to be a good book. Or in any way successful. Just so long as it gets published with my name in big writing on the cover.
3. Cycle from Hanoi to Saigon. This just popped into my head & sounds cool. My not-sister always tells me how great Vietnam is so I’m gonna give this a go sometime in the next ten years.
4. Horse ride in an African game park. Tough this as (i) they have a 14 stone weight restriction and I’m well over that and (ii) I can’t ride for toffee and most require you to be a decent rider. Still, diet & riding lessons. It can be done.
5. Build a wildlife pond that has newts. Of course, since UK newts are protected I have to rely on them finding the pond but I’m sure they will.
6. Visit the Watt temples of Cambodia. Because everybody should.
So, there’s a few. I’m open to suggestions but no dangerous sports please – I’ve done my share & I’m 40 and wiser now.
Of course. I am currently mortgaging myself to the hilt to buy my big garden with old house (some work needed) attached, so I have no way to finance any of this. But hell, a mans gotta have dreams.
posted by Old Man Rich at 11:18 AM
17 Comments:
how about having sex?
No thanks monkey, your not my type.
Poodle, you've been spammedto the high heavens!
I started doing the same this but I se t a little baby goal for each year - it started at 29: By 30 - get rid of jackass boyfriend (done), do something for charity (done), travel somewhere in the US you've never been (done). The week before my birthday I sit and make my list - so far the last 4 years I think i missed one.
Your 10 year list make my annual list want for more. Would Monkey be my type? That seems to be the point on my list I missed last year.
Spam Vermin Deleted.
Maggi-n. I doubt Monkey is you're type - unless you like ugly. (actually monkey has a lovely girlfriend, which amazes many of us. I can only assume its some sort of community service that she's been sentenced to).
she is with me because I have a big red arse. Where as the Rich...are an arse
read "you" instead of "the"
anyways, you in the crown tomorrow rich?
Charge like an Anglo-Saxon warrior down a hill with your mates into a waiting viking horde.
John J
Erm John? Didn't the Anglo Saxon warriors generally get horribly butchered by the waiting viking hoard? I said no dangerous sports.
Monkey, yes, about 5.15.
I think you have led an amazing life so far. I so admire your sense of adventure and zest for life. Thanks for being such a positive example. I have 2 goals...I want to know true happiness / contentment and I want to discover something that nobody else has before I pass.
Your blog makes me happy...you are a very positive person. Good luck to you I hope that you succeed at everything you set out to accomplish.
Sarah, I aspire to be one of those freaks. I would love to walk around the USA. But I have this unreasonable boss who actually expects me to turn up to work occasionally.
Anna, True happiness must be fleeting. One of the reasons its so magical is because its so rare. Beware contentment, its an easy trap to fall into. And to discover something new I'm recommending beetles. Just shake a tree and it apparently rains new species of beetles. There are just loads of the little critters. a disturbing number. Really. I worry about the number of species of beetle. it just doesn't make sense. Why beetles?...
rich,
I guess I'll see if I can dig that coast to coast book out then - you know the one you gave me! still unused.
If you walk through Texas, swing into Odessa and I'll treat you to some BBQ. We have some good shit here to eat.
Until later...
Rich said:"Erm John? Didn't the Anglo Saxon warriors generally get horribly butchered by the waiting viking hoard?"
Chicken! It's exactly that kind of attitude that let the Mormans in through the front door. Oh, that and the charging down hill.
John J
Erm, Mormans. No, no, no. I meant Normans.
John J.
If I recall correctly, a few days before the Normans landed King Harold and a load of his Anglo-Saxon mates went charging down a hill into a waiting Viking hoard and half of them were horribly butchered. Hence they could only field a B team against Willi the Conk. See. Its a bad idea.
As is slaughtering Mormons. Although I consider Jehova's witnesses fair game.
Don't know about that but they certainly charged down the hill at Hastings effectively handing victory over to that French bloke.
John J.
Let me know when you publish the book. I'll pick up a copy, even if it's all about bass fishing.
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