The Elfin Blog

What follows is a list, or what I would call The List. I got the idea for The List from a good friend of mine, Marty, and have been using it ever since. The list is, quite simply, a recounting of all the shit I want to do, have, accomplish, or build in my life. When one of these tasks is accomplished, I just cross that bad boy right off and move on. As my friend Marty said, “One should never pass up a chance to cross something off their list.” The goal is to complete the list before death.

The List is in no particular order, and it does not necessarily have to be written (just in case you decide to create your own). This is, in fact, the first time I have written out The List. When I first thought about a list, I realized it was basically always there in my head. I had just never articulated it in such a way before. I think most people will find that they too have a list already well underway. It should also be noted that the list can continually evolve, grow, and change, though I personally need to really be able to justify removing an item from the list. I mostly just add. Here, then, is the Elf’s List as of today. I’ll add and modify this over time as the spirit moves me.

• Own a ‘63 - ‘65 Cherry Red Ford Galaxy 500 convertible, with a black interior.
• Travel Europe extensively for a single long period of time, visiting all the major cities and an assload of places in between. Repeat.
• To visit a foreign land that I have not really considered visiting before.
• Marry a woman for whom I pine damn near all the time and who pines for me; a woman who puts up with all my crap; a woman with whom I can spend hours in slightly inebriated, barefooted, philosophical conversation while playing Tom Petty, Mazzy Star, or the like, and who will always find this activity a valid option for a Saturday night.
• To go on long trips with the above woman.
• To eventually spawn healthy, intelligent children with said woman.
• Spend my life with the aforementioned woman, in happiness. It would help if I made her happy too.
• To learn to play the guitar well enough so that I can have great times sitting around gatherings and parties playing tunes people like to hear.
• To become excellent at, and respected in my field/job/career.
• To publish a work of fiction for money. (Just a little).
• Own a farm or similarly large piece of land and perhaps live there for a time, ideally in a house. It wouldn’t hurt to have some cows, too.
• To have a son, and then one day have house guests such as my parents, so that I can say, as they move to get their luggage from the car, “No, no. I’ll have the boy get it.”
• To, at the end of my life, know that I have done the best and most I could with my life, without regrets.
• To hit a home run.
• Routinely spend time on a lake in a nice quiet little cottage or house, with a boat docked out front, and to feel free to take that boat out onto the lake whenever I damn well please.
• To win a great victory.

That’s it for now. More later, I am sure. Goodnight.