10 Things I Want to Do Before I Die

When I turned 40, I decided I wanted to play soccer again before I shuffled off this mortal coil. I jogged, got in reasonable shape, practiced at the park, and got a friend to let me on his over-30 team. I played a game, managed not to embarrass myself, and broke my ankle in the backyard the following weekend.

Perhaps it is the fact that my both my children have left the nest again that causes me to ponder the final scorecard. So, here are a few of the things I want to achieve before I die, limited to things that really could happen (and which, for the sake of my mother, wife and children who read this blog, do not involve Olivia Newton John or twins):

1. Run a marathon. (Those who know me will think this is beyond the realm of possibility, but it isn't.)

2. Win an award for my beer. (I've only entered one contest, and did okay. And I've made some awesome beers that I didn't enter into contests . . .)

3. Paint a picture I am happy with.

4. Write a novel I am happy with. (I don't even really care if it gets published, if I know it's good.)

5. Hit a hole in one.

6. Do a good stand-up comedy act.

7. Catch a bass of at least 6 pounds. (I know, that's a pretty low bar, but it's a goal I set when I was 9 years old, and I still want to do it.)

8. Articulate a coherent set of spiritual beliefs.

9. Do a brewery tour of Belgium.

10. Hear a world-class orchestra perform Ma Vlast in the Czech Republic.

Of course, there are many other things, like having rich relationships with those I love, or being healthy, or being financially secure, that could be on the list, but I chose to focus on things that I can one day scratch off the list . . .