So I've been giving this bucket list thing some thought, and realised that most of mine involve traveling and places that I want to see. I've also realised that I've been lucky enough to tick a few of them off already. Many of them have been on my bucket list for many years, before I even knew it was a bucket list actually, in fact some since childhood.
I remember wanting to visit Sacre Coeur in Paris since I learnt about it at the age of 11 at school. I always thought it was one of the most beautiful buildings I'd ever seen. I've been lucky enough to visit it on two occasions. The first time I will admit it brought a tear to my eye, it is beautiful. We even went back to see it again at night, a fantastic sight all lit up, and the views from there across the lights of Paris are well worth climbing the steps for. (although its much easier to get the cable car, which I discovered AFTER climbing the steps) I went back a few years later and took CC this time, not sure if she was quite as impressed, but she did enjoy it. Although I have the tick in that particular box now, I do adore Paris, and it has to stay on the list as I simply have to visit again one day.
Another tick in the box is the Pyramids and the Sphinx. Again it is somewhere I wanted to visit from being a very young child. My Grandad was stationed in Egypt during World War 2, and I would often listen to stories about it as a child. He would talk about the Sphinx, and from then on it was on the list of must do places to visit. CC has inherited my nerd genes, poor child, and was Egypt mad as a very young child. She read lots of books and so was over the moon when a holiday to Egypt was booked, and she was only 6! We did the trip to the Egyptian Museum, the Pyramids and the Sphinx. CC was in her element, and bombarded the guide with a constant stream of questions. The museum was amazing, so many priceless things in such a small space. The Pyramids and Sphinx are amazing when you think when how they were built. It was also a little emotional for me, as my Grandad had passed away by then.
As I've already said I am a bit of a nerd, and always wanted to visit Hong Kong before it went back to the Chinese, unfortunately I didn't manage this. I did however get the opportunity to spend a couple of days there on route to New Zealand a few years ago. I loved it! We did a whistle stop tour, up the Peak, on the Star Ferry, Nathan Street market, bird market, fish market, the Harbour. So thats another tick in the box, the problem is we weren't there long enough, so what it did do is put it firmly back on the list to be visited again, but this time at a more leisurely pace!
These are just a few of the amazing experiences I've had, storing up the memories for that rainy day. But you may have noticed a bit of a pattern developing, instead of the bucket list getting shorter as things get ticked off, its getting longer, as I keep finding that the experiences are so good I need to go again! I haven't quite got the hang of it really have I!
C x
Tuesday, 26 July 2011
Blogs are like buses
When I posted my blog last night I saw the date of the one before and was a little disappointed in myself to see it had been 2 months between the two posts. This is despite all my good intentions when I started. So I had a little word with myself, and have resolved to make a little more effort from now on.
Lying in bed last night, sleep once again eluding me, my brain started ticking over and I wrote about 4 blogs in my head. I was unfortunately too lazy, too sore and too tired to get out of bed and write anything down. I will however try and remember what was in them and attempt to commit them to paper, or more accurately to screen, over the next few days. Hence the title of this blog, which is a bit like a bus, you don't see one for months, then a whole bunch show up together. With any luck, and a bit of self discipline on my behalf, there will be one coming to a screen near you soon......
Lying in bed last night, sleep once again eluding me, my brain started ticking over and I wrote about 4 blogs in my head. I was unfortunately too lazy, too sore and too tired to get out of bed and write anything down. I will however try and remember what was in them and attempt to commit them to paper, or more accurately to screen, over the next few days. Hence the title of this blog, which is a bit like a bus, you don't see one for months, then a whole bunch show up together. With any luck, and a bit of self discipline on my behalf, there will be one coming to a screen near you soon......
Monday, 25 July 2011
Living for today
I've been following Alice's Bucket List. A truly inspirational story about a young girl with terminal cancer, and her bucket list. It got me to thinking about my own bucket list.
When you have a progressive type of illness it does make you consider your mortality a little more. Its not so much about dying, as MS isn't a terminal illness, its more about knowing that you will deteriorate, you just never know how quickly, how badly, or when it will happen. The only thing you do know is that it will happen one day. I know you are probably thinking that anyone could go out and get run over by that metaphorical bus, and thats very true, they could, but its unlikely. For us MSer's, and other chronic condition battlers, we know the bus is definitely going to get us one day, we just don't know which day.
That sounds like a negative thought, but actually for me its been quite a positive one. Its made me think more about living for today, and not putting stuff off till tomorrow. Its taught me to do the fun stuff now while I can, to make the most of life, and to make the memories today, that will keep me going when that day the bus hits finally arrives. Its taught me to worry less about the rainy day, and to make the most of the sun while it shines. There may even be a lesson there for us all. I've spoken to a couple of friends about it, and its certainly given them a different view on life too. Who'd have thought MS could be a good thing?
The rainy day may never arrive for me, the bus definitely will, and I sure as hell plan on having plenty of memories to look back on and smile when tomorrow finally comes.
When you have a progressive type of illness it does make you consider your mortality a little more. Its not so much about dying, as MS isn't a terminal illness, its more about knowing that you will deteriorate, you just never know how quickly, how badly, or when it will happen. The only thing you do know is that it will happen one day. I know you are probably thinking that anyone could go out and get run over by that metaphorical bus, and thats very true, they could, but its unlikely. For us MSer's, and other chronic condition battlers, we know the bus is definitely going to get us one day, we just don't know which day.
That sounds like a negative thought, but actually for me its been quite a positive one. Its made me think more about living for today, and not putting stuff off till tomorrow. Its taught me to do the fun stuff now while I can, to make the most of life, and to make the memories today, that will keep me going when that day the bus hits finally arrives. Its taught me to worry less about the rainy day, and to make the most of the sun while it shines. There may even be a lesson there for us all. I've spoken to a couple of friends about it, and its certainly given them a different view on life too. Who'd have thought MS could be a good thing?
The rainy day may never arrive for me, the bus definitely will, and I sure as hell plan on having plenty of memories to look back on and smile when tomorrow finally comes.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)