As this year is nearly over and I think more and more about writing the book (I have all the material!) I realize there will be multiple steps ahead of me, least of all editing my writing. A primary goal after this book is written is to inspire people to have more new experiences themselves. Of course there is the inevitable trial and error along the way, but that is part of what makes the experience genuine. I have often needed to change plans because something "fell through." Once I was forced to come up with a plan D. It can be hard to see as far as plan D! Yet the stretching of your vision can leave you seeing farther down the road than you were once capable.
More fell through recently. My brother and I did not go to the firing range this morning as we had planned because of a large snowstorm. Perhaps we will go tomorrow, perhaps not. I will run the crazy 5K no matter what, so I am not worried about anything, yet it is a reminder to me how flexible one needs to be in order to continually pursue this goal which has now lasted almost exactly one year.
When my plans have fallen through, I think this has helped the book become more interesting. After all, this is natural. It shows the authenticity of life being life and of my will not being able to bend it, but able to roll with it. I just realized, I will have to think of not only what I learned from my successes, but my failures as well.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Final Week of the Year
I can't believe I have only one week remaining before I have done at least one new thing every week of the year! This week will be a bit of a challenge. There are actually two things which I'll include in my book; previously if there was more than one thing, I chose between the two because I don't want to overwrite this book. However, this week, both new experiences pretty much belong, so there will be two this week.
For Christmas, my brother Mike visited from medical school a bordering state away. In my family of five children, the siblings draw names for gift giving. Mike got my name, which he kept secret until Christmas day. When I opened my gift, I found a porcelain doll that belonged to me about ten years ago wrapped in a cardboard box. Mike said, "Don't worry, that's just a decoy." Then there was a sheet of paper beneath with guns randomly printed in a cheap font. This was a message about his Christmas gift to come . . . taking me to a firing range. He had suggested this once as a new thing for me, and while he's still visiting, we will do this together.
My second thing will be to end the book exactly where I started: with the Beat the New Year 5k. Now of course, this is not new because by now I've ran 5Ks and even a full marathon, so this in itself does not fit with the book. So to modify the race to make it a new experience, I will be running it in a bikini. That's right, even in the winter at 11:30 at night. I have made preparations to help myself avoid frostbite and hypothermia. It will be an experience, no matter what happens. People tell me, "You're crazy!" I just tell them, "That's what I'm thinking." But I'm doing it anyway. What a way to end 2009--to finish it with a race just like I started it, only this time I'm sure I'll be a little bit colder. And then my goal has been completed! Joyfully on to the next step!
For Christmas, my brother Mike visited from medical school a bordering state away. In my family of five children, the siblings draw names for gift giving. Mike got my name, which he kept secret until Christmas day. When I opened my gift, I found a porcelain doll that belonged to me about ten years ago wrapped in a cardboard box. Mike said, "Don't worry, that's just a decoy." Then there was a sheet of paper beneath with guns randomly printed in a cheap font. This was a message about his Christmas gift to come . . . taking me to a firing range. He had suggested this once as a new thing for me, and while he's still visiting, we will do this together.
My second thing will be to end the book exactly where I started: with the Beat the New Year 5k. Now of course, this is not new because by now I've ran 5Ks and even a full marathon, so this in itself does not fit with the book. So to modify the race to make it a new experience, I will be running it in a bikini. That's right, even in the winter at 11:30 at night. I have made preparations to help myself avoid frostbite and hypothermia. It will be an experience, no matter what happens. People tell me, "You're crazy!" I just tell them, "That's what I'm thinking." But I'm doing it anyway. What a way to end 2009--to finish it with a race just like I started it, only this time I'm sure I'll be a little bit colder. And then my goal has been completed! Joyfully on to the next step!
Random Acts of Kindness
I love the bumper sticker "Practice random acts of kindness and senseless beauty." On December 26, which is the second to the last week of the year and of course the week of Christmas, I found my fifty-first new experience. I wanted to do something giving, not only to go along with the holiday, but because I felt it would be a good addition to my book.
Originally I wanted to volunteer at a soup kitchen. It didn't work out and I knew it wouldn't because I didn't give myself enough time to plan ahead. All the soup kitchens I called were full of volunteers. So I came up with a plan b. My friend Heidi was visiting from California and told me she wanted to join me on this week's adventure.
We went to a nice fast food restaurant, ordered something tasty for ourselves, then each put down a ten dollar bill and told the cashier we'd like to pay for whoever comes after us. We were a little nervous because we didn't know if we'd even be allowed to do this. At least, I was a little nervous about it, even though it might sound ridiculous. The cashier just smiled and said, "You're so cute," and told us about someone who recently went through the drive through and said he wanted to pay for the people in the vehicle behind him; this couple consequently decided to pay for the couple behind them.
Even after the cashier's story, I guess I just pictured the next customers to walk inside the store, but it was a while before anyone came in and when they did, it was two men in business suits and we didn't notice any particular reaction. After we finished our own meal at about noon, we asked the cashier what had happened. The couple after us were in the drive through, which we hadn't considered probably because you typically don't think first about the people who are least visible. When they were told their meal had already been paid for, the cashier told us they looked like they were about to cry. It really touched us, and of course, neither pair knew who the other was or even what they looked like or anything about them, but it didn't matter. It really made our day, and hopefully we made someone else's too.
Originally I wanted to volunteer at a soup kitchen. It didn't work out and I knew it wouldn't because I didn't give myself enough time to plan ahead. All the soup kitchens I called were full of volunteers. So I came up with a plan b. My friend Heidi was visiting from California and told me she wanted to join me on this week's adventure.
We went to a nice fast food restaurant, ordered something tasty for ourselves, then each put down a ten dollar bill and told the cashier we'd like to pay for whoever comes after us. We were a little nervous because we didn't know if we'd even be allowed to do this. At least, I was a little nervous about it, even though it might sound ridiculous. The cashier just smiled and said, "You're so cute," and told us about someone who recently went through the drive through and said he wanted to pay for the people in the vehicle behind him; this couple consequently decided to pay for the couple behind them.
Even after the cashier's story, I guess I just pictured the next customers to walk inside the store, but it was a while before anyone came in and when they did, it was two men in business suits and we didn't notice any particular reaction. After we finished our own meal at about noon, we asked the cashier what had happened. The couple after us were in the drive through, which we hadn't considered probably because you typically don't think first about the people who are least visible. When they were told their meal had already been paid for, the cashier told us they looked like they were about to cry. It really touched us, and of course, neither pair knew who the other was or even what they looked like or anything about them, but it didn't matter. It really made our day, and hopefully we made someone else's too.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Number 50
I always thought I would be very excited when I reached the last ten weeks of the year, since it would be just a countdown until my completion. To be honest, I lost track of the weeks and no longer thought of it in a numerical sense anymore. Only the first month was "Water Running: Week Three" and such. But now that it is December and there are only two weeks remaining after this, I realized, this was my fiftieth new thing this year, that is as far as my book is concerned. It is a pretty amazing land mark. Had this goal not existed, how many new things would I have done? Ten? Five? I can promise you it wouldn't be fifty.
A few weeks ago before I owned a laptop and would go to the library to use their computers, I noticed a bulletin board with a sign announcing an anime club which meets the third Tuesday of every month (today!). It looked like a kids club to me. I used to work at the library two and a half years ago, and that was my perception of the anime club. The poster did say for ages 12+ however, so I thought, hey, I'm twelve plus! Sure maybe I'm more than twice that age, but that's okay! So I figured going to this kids club could very easily be my new thing this week.
I was a little late; I wasn't able to completely close my store until around 6:30, and the club started at 6:00. After pulling into the library parking lot, I actually felt a little nervous. Not the kind of nerves I felt before skydiving of course, but I admit, I noticed a little apprehension just doing this new thing. (Apparently that never wears off, but personally I kind of enjoy a few jitters every now and again.)
It was nothing like I expected. There was a group of people in the auditorium sitting around the overhead projector screen watching "Avatar", an Americanized Anime series on Nickelodean. The people there were not all twelve-year-olds; most of the people, I later learned, were probably around sixteen, and there were even several people my own age. It was the opposite of my visualization. I thought I'd be towering over elementary-aged children. I saw an episode of Dharma and Greg years ago when Dharma, very much the free spirit, decided she wanted to learn to play violin and joined a class where she could clearly be everyone's mom. My experience was not that dramatic.
So it wasn't exactly a kids class, more teenage, but it was still going out of my comfort zone by attending a club out of my age group. And as I want to learn Anime so I can teach other people how to draw it, this really was an ideal club to attend.
A few weeks ago before I owned a laptop and would go to the library to use their computers, I noticed a bulletin board with a sign announcing an anime club which meets the third Tuesday of every month (today!). It looked like a kids club to me. I used to work at the library two and a half years ago, and that was my perception of the anime club. The poster did say for ages 12+ however, so I thought, hey, I'm twelve plus! Sure maybe I'm more than twice that age, but that's okay! So I figured going to this kids club could very easily be my new thing this week.
I was a little late; I wasn't able to completely close my store until around 6:30, and the club started at 6:00. After pulling into the library parking lot, I actually felt a little nervous. Not the kind of nerves I felt before skydiving of course, but I admit, I noticed a little apprehension just doing this new thing. (Apparently that never wears off, but personally I kind of enjoy a few jitters every now and again.)
It was nothing like I expected. There was a group of people in the auditorium sitting around the overhead projector screen watching "Avatar", an Americanized Anime series on Nickelodean. The people there were not all twelve-year-olds; most of the people, I later learned, were probably around sixteen, and there were even several people my own age. It was the opposite of my visualization. I thought I'd be towering over elementary-aged children. I saw an episode of Dharma and Greg years ago when Dharma, very much the free spirit, decided she wanted to learn to play violin and joined a class where she could clearly be everyone's mom. My experience was not that dramatic.
So it wasn't exactly a kids class, more teenage, but it was still going out of my comfort zone by attending a club out of my age group. And as I want to learn Anime so I can teach other people how to draw it, this really was an ideal club to attend.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
There are only a few weeks left to go before I have completely finished my goal of doing something new all fifty-two weeks out of the year. I know what I'll be doing for the final three weeks, but I was unsure what I would do between this Sunday and Saturday.
I thought I could invite just about everyone I know to a big party for my birthday, since I really don't throw myself parties, but I didn't organize that and my heart wasn't set on using it for my book. I try to avoid anything of which I feel ambiguous; I do have to write about this too, so if I feel unsure about the idea, I usually find something else.
Instead of having a party, I thought I could to a spin on that by cooking a big meal--I've never cooked much of anything--and invite people over for it. But as my friend Jo said, would that really be something done out of kindness or cruelty? Of course I can learn to cook, but I have to give myself enough time and planning so what I've made is really enjoyable to eat. I'm not really prepared for that either. Preparation is the key for accomplishing all these things.
Yesterday I thought I could take a Pilates class--I've wanted to do that all year and never taken the opportunity. I looked at a schedule of a local studio and there was one the next day. Only then it hit me . . . like a few other new things this year, I've had something new and significant right in front of me the entire time I've been trying to figure out what to do. Portraits are one of the things I am known for, and right now I'm doing a commission for a girl named Jody who I met a few months ago. It is a Christmas present for her mom and there are eight figures: Jody, her husband, her sister, her three brothers and her mom and dad. I've never painted more than four figures in a single picture. The canvas is only 12x16 inches, but I managed to comfortable fit them all in despite the small size. So there is my new thing right there . . . I realized, "Wait a minute, I need to talk about my portraits somewhere in my book! That's what I do!"
It is amazing how fluid this whole experience has been. When I first made the decision to write this book, I felt happiness to the point of tears, followed by feeling sick to my stomach a few hours later when I realize I'd actually have to find fifty-two new things and then actually find a way to do them. To be honest, I wasn't sure if I would be able to do it. Yet sometimes when you make a decision your heart is truly set on, your perception begins to change and that which you were blind to before now is visible and accessible and its just a matter of keeping focused and being sure to keep your eyes and mind open. With only three weeks to go and already knowing my plans, it is now just a matter of fulfilling these final few new experiences before I can say I've done something new every week for an entire year.
I thought I could invite just about everyone I know to a big party for my birthday, since I really don't throw myself parties, but I didn't organize that and my heart wasn't set on using it for my book. I try to avoid anything of which I feel ambiguous; I do have to write about this too, so if I feel unsure about the idea, I usually find something else.
Instead of having a party, I thought I could to a spin on that by cooking a big meal--I've never cooked much of anything--and invite people over for it. But as my friend Jo said, would that really be something done out of kindness or cruelty? Of course I can learn to cook, but I have to give myself enough time and planning so what I've made is really enjoyable to eat. I'm not really prepared for that either. Preparation is the key for accomplishing all these things.
Yesterday I thought I could take a Pilates class--I've wanted to do that all year and never taken the opportunity. I looked at a schedule of a local studio and there was one the next day. Only then it hit me . . . like a few other new things this year, I've had something new and significant right in front of me the entire time I've been trying to figure out what to do. Portraits are one of the things I am known for, and right now I'm doing a commission for a girl named Jody who I met a few months ago. It is a Christmas present for her mom and there are eight figures: Jody, her husband, her sister, her three brothers and her mom and dad. I've never painted more than four figures in a single picture. The canvas is only 12x16 inches, but I managed to comfortable fit them all in despite the small size. So there is my new thing right there . . . I realized, "Wait a minute, I need to talk about my portraits somewhere in my book! That's what I do!"
It is amazing how fluid this whole experience has been. When I first made the decision to write this book, I felt happiness to the point of tears, followed by feeling sick to my stomach a few hours later when I realize I'd actually have to find fifty-two new things and then actually find a way to do them. To be honest, I wasn't sure if I would be able to do it. Yet sometimes when you make a decision your heart is truly set on, your perception begins to change and that which you were blind to before now is visible and accessible and its just a matter of keeping focused and being sure to keep your eyes and mind open. With only three weeks to go and already knowing my plans, it is now just a matter of fulfilling these final few new experiences before I can say I've done something new every week for an entire year.
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