Satisfying Retirement: If I Had An Expiration Date....that has to be the best thought provoking "if" ever. Back in the day when we were all thinking in terms of "memes" and "lists" this could have started a wildfire on the web. The idea came from a blog post by Bob Lowry over at Satisfying Retirement. His wildly popular blog always gets lots of attention and I am sure that this idea caught people's attention.
Bob threw the question out there...what if we had an expiration date? Bob is a very pratictical man I think and he saw the expiration date as a challenge to finish the jobs he needed to complete...leave a lesson or two for his children, spend his time more productively and grow spiritually. He really covered all the important items. For all of his list I say ditto.
But I need to add a few of my own:
Just a thought.
b
Bob threw the question out there...what if we had an expiration date? Bob is a very pratictical man I think and he saw the expiration date as a challenge to finish the jobs he needed to complete...leave a lesson or two for his children, spend his time more productively and grow spiritually. He really covered all the important items. For all of his list I say ditto.
But I need to add a few of my own:
- I would smile more.
- My cell phone minutes would all get used.
- Friends I have not talked to would hear from me.
- I would write more letters.
- Everyone I saw would get a hug...even if they didn't want one.
- There are things that puzzle me. I would spend more time searching for answers.
- I would never hide my opinions again...if they are wrong or slanted then I need to work out in my own mind why. A good argument or discussion never would hurt anyone.
- My family would be showered with gifts and love.
- Hopefully, the strength to keep my pain or fear to myself would come from somewhere. Maybe that would be the spiritual depth Bob talked about.
- I would clean my closet and bathroom more often. Not because I care but because I don't want my family to see my mess.
- A tree would be planted and a child would be sent to summer camp if I could afford it.
- I have always wanted to leave a mark at my college...maybe some money could be donated for a chair. I would like to do that.
- I would focus on my successes in my final days. I have stewed over my many, many mistakes for way to long.
Just a thought.
b
Thanks, Barb, for the very kind words. That post did generate some interesting ideas and raised another one: would you really want to know when you were going to die?
ReplyDeleteI LOVE your additional list, except for the cleaning the bathroom part. I would attempt everything else.
Definitely do not want to know when I am going to leave this world. Where's the fun in that?
ReplyDeleteWould add to Barb's list - always wear clean underwear without any holes...just in case. (Goes with clean toilets)
Its nice that we bloggers share our ideas. It started with my thoughts about living too long (http://rjscorner.net/2012/05/31/living-too-long/) that gave Bob the idea.
ReplyDeleteI like your list. Many of your items would also be on mine but definitely not number 10. I hate cleaning bathrooms.