I wrote this blog post this morning, and thought it would be a neat idea for a thread.
On the back of the cereal box, they had a list of "18 things to do before you're 18" that was so unrealistic, it was silly. But they didn't make it sound like a joke, so I'm not sure if it was satirical or not. But it got me to thinking what things a teen should experience before they're 18. So here's my list:
1: Create a piece of art. It doesn't have to pretty, or even good. Make a sculpture, make something on a pottery wheel, paint a picture, draw something. Create something that comes from your imagination and your own two hands.
2: Do something musical. Sing. Learn how to play an instrument. Compose a song. Again, it doesn't have to be the next number 1 hit, it's all about the experience interacting with a non-visual medium: sound.
3: Write a long poem or a short story. All by yourself, because you want to, not because the teacher assigned it. Write about something YOU like. Many people come out of school hating to write because of the necessity of it. Writing can be enjoyable.
4: Read a novel. This one is second nature to this bookworm, but I know many people who don't enjoy reading. Again, I wonder if that's due to the influence of school and homework. I believe there is a book for everyone out there. Find one that sounds interesting, is a short and easy read, and read it.
5: Attend a professional concert, dance, or play. There's something about watching someone perform with the passion of doing something they love.
6: Wash your clothes at the laundrymat. This is a more practical one. Learning how coin operated washers and dryers work is an essential life skill.
7: Do something social alone. Go out to eat by yourself. See a movie that no one else you know wants to see. Take a fitness class at the gym. There are times in life where you might be interested in something that none of your friends are. Don't miss out on something you might love just because you couldn't find anyone else to do with you.
8: Camp in a tent Experience nature for a night, without tv or electricity. (Extra points for no cell phone reception.)
9: Bake cookies from scratch. It doesn't matter which gender you're trying to attract, every heart is softened by fresh baked cookies. I'll give you cake, pie, brownies, or any other sort of pastry here too; I reluctantly admit that not everyone likes cookies. No-bake, or anything from a mix, doesn't count.
10: Care for a plant and a pet. Fish count. Dog sitting counts, as long as it's for 2 or more days. Just take care of something that relies on you for sustenance. Something like a pet that's high maintenance and will remind you that you're needed, and something like a plant that you have to remember to care for.
11: Give a stranger a compliment. If you like the cashier's earrings, let her know. If the guy at the next table over at the restaurant has cool shoes, tell him.
12: Give a handmade gift, and/or give a gift without an occasion. The extra thought that you put into the gift will make it that much more special. Making someone else feel good will make you feel good.
13: Make a video with your friends. Be silly, have fun, give everyone a copy. Talk to me again after watching the video 10 years later. The video will be terrible, but you'll appreciate it.
14: Play a long board game with a group of friends. Monopoly is probably the most popular. You find with a long board game, you end up having to work together to win. And it'll turn into your own version of the game, that only you and your friends play together.
15: Watch a really bad b-movie scary movie at night. This is best during a sleep over. A bad scary movie (anyone over 18 out there remember USA's Up All Night?) from the 80's will work the best. It'll be hilarious in it's atrocity, but still make you jump.
16: Watch, read, or listen to something that makes you cry. Not all tears are sad, and not all sad tears are bad.
17: Ride a roller coaster. The bigger and scarier, the better. It's good for everyone to be scared out of their wits at least once.
18: Tell someone you've never told before that you love them. And mean it. There are so many people out there whose love is taken for granted. Loving and being loved will contribute to a happy life.
Of course, this list isn't just for teenagers, and there's no due date.
So, what have I left out? (I purposely avoided anything to do with driving. Not everyone gets their license when they're 16, and not everyone has a car.)
Is 41 the new 18? Otherwise, I'm already late on a lot of these.
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"Tell me, does it move you, Does it soothe you, Does it fill your heart and soul with the roots of rock & roll? When you can't get through it you can listen to it with a 'na na na na', Well I've been there before" -"Been There Before" by Hanson
Like I said, there's no due date. But did I include something that you don't think should be there?
No, it's all good. And actually, I've done everything on there, except for the laundromat. (Or as they say on "The Young Ones", the Laundrat.) I hope to never have to go to the laundromat, because that'd mean that my washer/dryer wouldn't be working, and that'd be a bummer. Although my father did propose to my mother at a laundromat...
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"Tell me, does it move you, Does it soothe you, Does it fill your heart and soul with the roots of rock & roll? When you can't get through it you can listen to it with a 'na na na na', Well I've been there before" -"Been There Before" by Hanson
The laundrymat one actually came out of a situation I witnessed. There were college girls doing laundry for the first time once while I was at the laundrymat. They were trying to figure out how much soap to put in, how to put the quarters in, what temperature to wash their stuff at, etc. One girl went strictly by the tags. She had maybe a little over a load of laundry and used 4 washers. I didn't have the heart to tell her that she could've washed the warm wash clothes in cold.
The laundrymat one actually came out of a situation I witnessed. There were college girls doing laundry for the first time once while I was at the laundrymat. They were trying to figure out how much soap to put in, how to put the quarters in, what temperature to wash their stuff at, etc. One girl went strictly by the tags. She had maybe a little over a load of laundry and used 4 washers. I didn't have the heart to tell her that she could've washed the warm wash clothes in cold.
I love the Seinfeld episode where Kramer is trying to put cement into the laundromat machine.
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"Tell me, does it move you, Does it soothe you, Does it fill your heart and soul with the roots of rock & roll? When you can't get through it you can listen to it with a 'na na na na', Well I've been there before" -"Been There Before" by Hanson
I've never done #13, but I think I can substitute "video tape" with "record" - as in voice record.... Did I mention that I was the scream sound in my older brother's (and friends) haunted house when I was around 7ish?
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You should fear anything that can bleed for seven days without dying... (as told to Mr. DS on 3-12-10)
