My little list of skills to be acquired (someday, I hope)

Next list. oh there is something so refreshingly powerful and organized in making lists. Last night I laughed for a long time, because when describing me on a test, one student wrote "ella es inteligente y organizada - a veces" That pretty much sums it up, I am organized, sometimes, and this is one of those times that my organizational skills will be sublime, sublevating all the other shit that is going on, avoiding work --- what else do you do when you are a grad student? or alive?

Skills to be acquired or things to start doing - not in order of importance or even probability.

1)Begin yoga classes, practice meditation

2) Learn to grill (it is not a gendered skill, I SWEAR!)

3)Learn to fish, gut and fry my own food -

4) Take an overnight camping trip totally alone (I know, I am ashamed that I have never done this before, I just haven't felt safe enough to do so)

5)Learn to surf - I tried once but failed due to extreme illness - must try again

6)Begin woodworking (and remember not to rip my hair out on the lathe this time!)

7) Do my work... no, can't do that... should be stricken from list, but I will allow it to stay there, for now...

8) Excercise my new skill and _drive_ stick-shift... if only once in a while to cut down on petrol emissions, just to get myself far enough away for the camping trip... maybe death valley... I have a year's National park pass, I might as well explore...

9)Train for a triathalon - if you could see me now, you might understand the humor in this - but seriously...

10) Learn to fix my own bike and switch gears appropriately.

11) Learn to use power tools without fearing the permanence of their actions.

12)Learn to care less about others and more about myself (yeah, right, like that is _ever_ going to happen)

13) Learn French, Portuguese, Italian and Hebrew (maybe not in that order seeing as my ability level varies widely...perhaps meeting lovers will be the only way to learn effectively? n'est pas? although, thinking about it, my vocabulary would be limited to very basic functions... never mind, who needs lovers anyway?)

14) Learn to understand Derrida, now that he is dead...

15)Travel to Botswana, without fear of disease - or at least overcoming fear...

16) Learn to be.. just be. without fearing the tomorrow or the twenty years from now.

17) Learn to be creative while happy or happy while creative, not needing an emotional bludgeoning to produce work of intrinsic value.

18)Learn to create a sustainable eco-village, (Kirsten, help!!!) and build my own house, with my own hands... a labor of love.

19)Learn to function alone, as an individual person, not a construction of myself with relation to someone else (ha- good luck - and yet... the fun is in the challenge)

20) Learn to be an activist, in the true sense of the word.

And, one more for good measure... actually Isabella's wish...

21) Buy and learn to ride a motorcycle (little, like the kind in "Setting Free the Bears") so that we can travel around Italy together - her idea- not mine... Because, she claims, "The Lady and the Tramp" is from Italy, substantiated by the use of accordion music...