Shortly before my youngest sister turned twenty-nine, she began creating a 30×30 list. The purpose was to “make aging fun.” It is a plan for accomplishing thirty things she really wants to do before turning thirty years of age. Each item had to be concrete so that it could be marked off as it was completed. So, “be more like my older sister” didn’t make the list.
Last month, when her 29th birthday rolled around, she tackled her goals with a vengeance! She even created a blog as a sort of scrapbook of her adventures. (www.adlibbs.wordpress.com)
Last time I checked, she had changed her own oil, donated blood, camped in a tent in the woods, started reading War & Peace, and went for a ride on a zip line. Actually, it was five zip lines, plus, a tree-top obstacle course. And I went with her.
It started out innocently enough. She posted a link on Facebook and asked if anyone would like to join her zip line adventure. Because I was sitting in the middle of an airport, reading Facebook from my phone, I didn’t actually open the link that she had posted. I simply responded, “Sounds great! Sign me up!”
And it did sound great! I love heights and speed, but it had been years since I’d done anything daring. Back in the day, when there was a beloved old amusement park practically sitting in my backyard, I rode the Skycoaster. I had two young children, and thought number three was on its way. When I found out my body was still my own, I celebrated by forking over twenty dollars to be strapped into a strait jacket and dropped from 200 feet in the air. As I barreled towards a bulls-eye painted on the side of a barn, I realized I was a thrill seeker limited only by my lack of a nanny.
Seventeen years and three additional children later, I was ready to get back in the harness. Or so I thought. I had pictured myself climbing up a ladder, being strapped to a cable by safety professionals, and gliding back down to earth. I figured twenty minutes, tops.
Instead, I had agreed to a three-hour, high-rise obstacle course and multiple zip lines. I was personally responsible for my own safety, detaching and reattaching my cables and pulley at least forty separate times. There was a lot to remember. Twice, I attached to the wrong wire, and once I accidentally unhooked a carabiner in mid-flight.
After my nearly fatal, unhinging incident, younger sister took on the responsibility of double-checking to make sure I was always properly connected. In the meantime, our fearless middle sister was channeling Peter Pan, and declaring that she wants her dying word to be, “Bonzai!” If you have a middle sister, this is probably a familiar scenario.
I’m happy to report that we all made it safely back to the ground. I only had one moment of panic, when I remembered my legs are six inches shorter than either of my sisters’ and I didn’t think I could make it to the next free-floating platform. Fortunately, my common-sense cousin, who has equally short legs, was encouraging me with the words, “As far as I can tell, you are hooked up properly, so you shouldn’t fall.”
When it was all said and done, I was inspired to write a 50×50 list and include a higher zip line with more intense obstacle course. I love a good rush of adrenalin, so I’ve also included: jump from an airplane: take a surfing lesson; audition for community theater; and hold a frog. I know that, in general, these lists are supposed to have quantified items that can be marked off as they are accomplished, but I also included, “Be more like my younger sisters.”
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