Bucket Lists and Random Thoughts

I have a lot of pictures to post.

BUT THAT'S NOT WHAT I'M GOING TO DO!!!!

So this picture challenge is kind of difficult for me, because some of the prompts are really... well, interesting, to use a placeholder. Like, one of them is "A picture of your biggest insecurity." Right. Like I'm actually going to put a picture of my biggest insecurity (read: everything about me) on Facebook. My grandma checks my Facebook, people, and the last thing I need is my grandma to try to talk to me about my feelings.

But some of the prompts are difficult to find a picture for because I've never honestly thought about it. Like, one of the days told me to post a picture of someone who inspires me. Uhh... Jesus? I don't know; the people who I consider "inspirational" are people I actually know, people I interact with, people that I'm afraid might find it a little stalker-ish if I plastered a picture of their face on my wall with the tag line "INSPIRATIONAL PERSON." But that's probably me over-thinking things. To get back to the point, I've never really stopped to think who inspires me, or where I most want to travel, or what has influenced me the most recently (and what kind of a prompt is that anyway?)

The one that gave me the most trouble recently was this: "A picture of something you want to do before you die." Essentially, take something off your bucket list and post a picture of it. Only I don't have a bucket list. I've never actually put deliberate thought into the things I want to make sure I accomplish before I die. Which is really silly, if you think about it, because it's important to set goals. I'm the kind of person who doesn't really set goals. I never make New Year's resolutions, except for easy ones that I can't help but keep (This year I'm going to carry out cellular respiration! Yay for accomplishment!)

However, I think Bucket Lists are really important. If Bucket Lists weren't important, would there be a movie all about them starring Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson?

I didn't think so.

So without much thought or consideration (because I'm not going to push it, folks), here's My Bucket List in no particular order:

-Write a story and COMPLETE IT
-Meet Tim Omundson
-Land a lead role in a musical or play at a real theatre (as in, not school)
-Record a CD
-Travel around Europe
-Dye my hair blue
-Solve a Rubik's Cube by myself
-Talk to a stranger in an airport
-Ride in an NYC taxi
-Get married
-Be a foster for shelter animals
-Learn to cook without using recipes
-Learn to drive a manual transmission automobile
-Go to Hawaii and Alaska

That's all I can think of at the moment.

And now for the Random Thoughts.

Tonight I went for a walk at about 9 PM around my neighborhood. Initially, I went outside to build a snowman in my front yard. But the top five inches or so of snow are all powder, and the packing snow is too solid to do much with. So now there's a sad mound of snow in my front yard. Anyway, once it became clear that my snowman was not in the cards tonight, I decided to wander for a bit. I walked three blocks up my street until I came to the busy arterial, then turned around and walked a block down the other side of the street. Then I went three blocks to my left, then turned and walked two blocks to the street that runs along the side of my house. From there, I walked three blocks home. It took me twenty minutes, which isn't bad for the pace I was going and the fact that at times I was ploughing through a couple of feet of snow with my shins (don't you people know that you can get sued by the post office if you don't shovel your walk and the mailman trips or slips?).

It's been a while since I've walked someplace by myself. When I'm home, if I want to get away I usually get in the car and drive. Usually this leaves me feeling frustrated, because I rarely if ever actually go anyplace, so I feel guilty for wasting gas and irritated because my wander itch is still very much in my system. And at school I don't feel safe walking around by myself at night, because college campuses are full of weirdos and party schools even moreso. But I know my neighborhood. I've lived here my entire life. I know to stay in well-lit areas and I know to take my phone with me if I'm out by myself. It's home, so I'm not worried.

The landscape reminded me of why I love winter so much. Everything was covered with a thick, clean blanket of snow. Even the roads were white, not gray and slushy like they get after they've been driven on a couple of times. I completely understand the phrase "Pure as the driven snow;" there's this feeling of innocence and serenity I get when I'm out in the snow. Every bad thing washes away for just a moment, and I'm left with pure and simple life. Of course, that doesn't last very long, because my mind tends to wander when I walk and I often end up talking to myself about stupid things that I shouldn't be worried about, but for a moment the snow makes me feel pure, like a child.

Tonight I walked and talked through my scarf, reminiscing and waxing philosophical amongst the snow drifts. I had to stop myself from dropping and making snow angels in strangers' yards; I promised myself that I could make one once I got home (I did, and now my boots and scarf and hat are dripping quietly onto a towel in the living room).

I always psych myself out when I go for walks or go places by myself: today's the day, I think, that I will meet someone and both of our lives will be changed. Today I will see someone I know that I haven't seen in a long time. Today a stranger will offer to give me a ride and it will end up that they give me a million dollars/fall in love with me/give me my dream job. Obviously, this never happens. Sometimes I'm incredibly disappointed that my trip to the grocery store wasn't my date with destiny. Tonight was good, though. I didn't meet anyone, I didn't see anyone I knew, I didn't get picked up by the government and recruited as a spy. I did talk myself through something that has been bugging me lately, all while getting hit in the face by tiny ice crystals.

Then, when I got back to my front yard, I dropped and made a snow angel. My soaking-wet jeans are now in an irresponsible pile on the floor, while I sit in my sweatpants, covered in cat hair and drinking egg nog.

Go for a walk in the snow sometime.