The Big List

I read an article written by a reporter who had biked across the country when he was a young man and was going to attempt to duplicate the feat 20 years later.  As he contemplated the upcoming event he reflected on what had happened in the ensuing period of time.  He put down some big things as most of us can do.  


It got me to thinking, which is never a good thing considering the quality and state of repair of my thinker, but I seem to be congenitally unable to stop myself.  It's an exercise to try to summarize things in a few events.  Here's what I came up with:
I got and stayed sober.
I got and stayed married, mostly effortlessly and contented, but fortunate to have learned great lessons as we have grown through the rough spots.
I traveled extensively and saw some amazing places and met some amazing people.  I don't regret one trip, even squatting against a cinder block building in Syria, in full view of a busy highway, dealing with some intestinal distress, or listening to god knows what snuffling and snorting around under my thatched hut in the night, in the jungle, in Ecuador.
I wrote two books and got zero books published, but that still makes me a writer.
I had a career in sales, and despite the reputation of my ilk, I think I made a difference in the lives of a lot of people.  I really do.


I made a difference.


I wanted my list to be filled with Big Events.  I wanted to hit the home run to win the Championship of the Whole World.  I thought I'd be disappointed that my list didn't have a bunch of things like that, but I'm not.


It's a pretty nice list.


I like to tell new people to think Big, to think Long Term.