"Love! Do you know the meaning of the word?" 'How should I not?' said the Lady, 'I am in love...in Love Himself.'
~C.S. Lewis
The Great Divorce

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

The Next Ten Years

I was reminded tonight in a coversation that I graduated high school in 2000, nearly ten years ago. Ten years is a substantial amount of time and I have been thinking tonight about how I spent it. I have a fair amount to show for it; two degrees, friends literally around the world, a working knowledge of a number of things I didn't even know existed, moderate fluency in Latin, a performance in a musical, and other things really too numerous too mention.

But when I look at that list, I see a list of things that are largely finished. I may work on a PH.D at some point, but not soon. I don't plan on making many more friends outside the states. And I have no real intention of learning another language. What might the next ten years then hold?

I suppose I might like to get married. But how does one bereft of social skills pull that one off? Would I like to get ordained? Sure. But can I ever overcome my fear of going through with it? I am not sure I can.
If neither of these things happen, it seems that I'm out of big opportunities for the next period of my life. So I would like to set some smaller goals over a smaller time period.

This year I will...
Read 5 of the classics...
Write an essay on Election and Free Will
Learn another Beethoven Sonata
Lose another 20 LBS.

That may seem like a modest list, but it will take me awhile to accomplish it all. Can anyone else think of anything I should do this year?

2 comments:

  1. How about mastering a new skill or hobby, such as cooking, woodworking, gardening, or trying something new like making homemade wine or beer :)

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  2. Interesting post, I may do a similar one. People tell me I've done a lot for my age but I don't know, I think a fair amount of people my age have graduated college, really it's the being married and having children thing I think but I really didn't plan to do either so soon. So I guess I planned to have less accomplished at this point!

    So which classics do you plan to read? I'm sure big opportunities will come along for you. Life has a way of not going how you think it will.

    I plan to lose 20 pounds to, well actually 34 plus however much I gain in the next three weeks or so. :-D I will shortly be rid of at least 6-9 pounds of it.

    Kimberley

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