In these rather distressed and distressing times, it can be quite easy to slip unnoticed into negative states of mind. This can be particularly true when you also do the type of research that I do. Meaning “futures” research that tries to understand trends and drivers and where events are headed, how likely, etc. On some days, it can all look pretty dire.
To muddle through like most, I try to spend more time consciously focusing on the positives, including my experiences, usually in the comfort and security of my own head. This time I decided to share and came up with “Nine for ‘09.” Basically a list of 9 really great experiences in my life to date. Here they are, in no particular order (and certainly not in reverse like David Letterman’s Top 10):
1. Flying over the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco in a single engine airplane with Michael, a good friend of my sister’s from the Bay Area
2. Wadlopen in the Waddenzee (you’ll have to Google that first term to figure it out!)
3. Working with Alex the African Grey Parrot and Irene Pepperberg as an undergrad at Northwestern
4. Skiing in the Alps with Anthony (Swiss), Gareth (Kiwi), and Ramona (Swiss too)
5. Mud sliding with my adopted Kiwi family: Angela, Louis, Daniel, and Christina
6. Peter Mayer CD hunt for Angela’s birthday (see #5)
7. Island hopping in the Bahamas looking for radar sites for the FAA’s new weather radar station to provide weather info for the Miami-San Juan flight path
8. Planting tree ferns in the front yard with Suus, Joris, and Roos
9. My wedding day – which truly was a perfect day.
I could go on, but limited myself to to just the nine.
How about yours?
1. The birth of Emma, the birth of Michael, my wedding day (the same kind of happiness).
2. Seeing elephants in a watering hole from the window of my “hotel” room in Kenya.
3. Discovering geocaching (other people are crazy too).
4. Finding out that my brother bid (by proxy) at an auction for the street art I created.
5. Experiencing the bioluminescent bay.
6. Seeing red and green northern lights with Mike…moving across the sky over Houghton Lake.
7. Running under an overpass during the Chicago marathon, while someone played Ode to Joy on a boom box.
8. Hiking in the midnight sun in Alaska.
9. Being with my sister as she left this world.
1. The birth of my nephew…oh, wait, that hasn’t happened yet.
2. The birth of my niece….oh, wait, that hasn’t happened yet.
3. Being surrounded by blue butterflies on a trail in Costa Rica.
4. Trekking to the campground bathroom at night in New Zealand, with the Southern Cross overhead.
5. Having William and Ginnie in my life.
6. Playing a semi-important, if unrecognized, role in electing President Obama.
7. Watching my father release his demons and become a humorous, warm, dignified person in the months before he died.
8. Hiking around Nor Cal with my friend Karen.
9. Snorkeling off Bermuda.