I’m a list maker. I make lists for errands, phone calls to make and chores to do.
My most recent list is 30 things to do before I’m 30.
I can’t take full credit for the list. I stole the concept from a Lifetime network movie and an article I read in a magazine, either “Woman’s Day” or “O,” I can’t remember which.
Some of the things on my list are meant to make me more adventurous, such as No. 26, which is learn to swim.
Some other things on my list of things to do are learn to whistle with my fingers, start jogging, get a professional massage and stay at a resort.
I don’t know why I want to learn to whistle with my fingers. I just read about it somewhere and said to myself, “I want to do that, too.”
I want to be healthier, so walking, jogging, eating my veggies and dropping some pounds all sit near the top of my list.
As for the massage, who doesn’t want to feel relaxed at the hands of a professional?
Maybe I can kill two birds with one stone by staying at a resort and getting a professional massage while I’m there.
I’ve also challenged myself to eat a banana. I have not eaten a banana since I was about 8 or 9. I remember getting sick a couple of times after eating them, but that was probably coincidental.
Now when I think of bananas, I think of something that rhymes with comet. Since childhood, I’ve never had one.
“They’re great,” people tell me. But I can’t bring myself to do it. Even the smell takes me back.
So crossing bananas off my list may be painful, but we all gotta conquer our fears sometime.
Speaking of fears, I’m afraid of dogs, cats, horses … well, pretty much any kind of animal. I didn’t grow up around them, so I guess it’s a fear of the unknown. My goal is to make friends with the animals. It’s a fear I’m looking to move past.
And yet another rather simple goal is to have lunch with an old friend. I just think about all the annoying forwards that people send me about friendship. Although irksome, it just reminds me that it is easy to get out of touch with people you care about.
My No. 24 is to wear red nail polish in public. To me, red nail polish is very flirty, something I don’t consider myself to be. Plus, it’s such a bold color, and I’ve settled into the ever-popular French manicure and other pale colors. Wearing red would be like me saying, “Here I am.”
My friends and family would probably appreciate No. 14 on my list, which is to be on time.
I’m notorious for being late for everything. I’m late to church. I’m sometimes late to work. I’m late to my own birthday dinner. It doesn’t matter what the appointment is, if it’s at 5 p.m., I’m there at 5:15. I even tried to set my alarm 15 minutes early, but I always psych myself out thinking it’s alright since I have 15 more minutes.
I also want to eat a starfruit. Aren’t they cute and exotic? I’ve never had one, so why not try one? I also want to bake something from scratch. People don’t do that much anymore. It’s all about getting to the next destination and getting there quickly.
Why bake a pie when you got Mrs. Smith’s?
I know this list, for me anyway, is quite lofty. But I’m 28 now, so I better get cracking.
By the way, anybody out there know how to whistle with their fingers?
nnn
Contact Shavonne Potts at 704-797-4253 or spotts@salisburypost.com.