The assignment this time is to brainstorm all the things that I would do if I had no limits: unlimited time, talent, money, and so forth. Well, not all, but to try for at least 25. The categories are Research/Study, Education, Philosophical /Religious, Travel, Fun, Home, Self and Family. Some of the topic areas were easy to find 25 things, and more, that I would like to do. (see my table of topics and activities following this discussion) Others were more difficult and I failed miserably at two: Philosophical /Religious and Family!
My professor stated that she did this exercise (or a similar one) as a graduate student back in 1995, and that it inspired her to accomplish many of the items on her list over the past 16 years.
In my case, while it is a vision of things-that-I-want-to-be, it is also a bit of a Bucket List (the list of all the things that you want to do before you kick the bucket) for me. I quite imagine that my professor was in her 20’s when she did her Bucket List, which meant that from that time forward, she had 50 – 80 years to accomplish its items. My fellow students are all in their 30’s, so they can look forward to 40 – 70 years in their Bucket plans, while I, on the other hand, turned 60 this year, so that I have only 20 – 40-or-so years for mine, a more limited span of time, and definitely no set of unlimited funds! (Though to be fair, neither did the professor nor do the other students!)
However, thinking about this made me remember things that I had planned to do over the years that never happened or were put off for later and forgotten, or just said that they were not possible! When people ask me if what I would do differently in my life, I honestly answer that, while the idea of changing something to make my life easier at that point is tempting, I would change nothing for I like the way things in my life are now and I would not risk losing what I have for a moment of might-have-been-better! I hope that my decisions were good, and good for my family, many did result in less monetary return than if I had chosen differently!
The exercise of creating the Bucket List, however, showed me that, in many ways, my basic desires have not changed over the years: Study, Teach, Research and Invent. I continue to enjoy both studying and teaching. I read all kinds of magazines on technology and science, and have continued to be creative. Many of my “inventions” were not much – I developed microwave scramblers years before they appeared on QVC – but others were pretty good. All of the FedEx Distributed Service teams used the Move-to-Production project plan that I developed back in 1996! In fact, one of the reasons that I want to attain my Doctorate is to be able to be taken seriously in the development of my ideas for Haptic Displays! Many of the items, if I am going to accomplish them, need me to simply knuckle down and apply myself, others are probably unrealistic (like the flying house/flying island), but are fun to dream about! Some I will just have to settle for a subset of, but I still do have at least 20 years ahead of me, so who knows what I mind accomplish!
To paraphrase Martin Luther King, Jr., "I have a dream - and a man ain't nothing without a dream!"
| Research/Study | Education | Philosophical/Religious |
| 1. Kung Fu 2. Tai Chi 3. Haptic displays (vibro-tactile, special fluids and polymers) 4. Electro-muscle stimulation 5. Dog intelligence and training 6. Greek language 7. Latin Language 8. Chinese language 9. Japanese language 10. CAD/CAM design 11. Microprocessor design 12. Ancient History 13. Paleontology 14. Philosophy 15. Blacksmithing 16. Metal working for knives, swords, etc. 17. Cartooning 18. Sonar 19. Fencing (martial) 20. Sculpture 21. Carpentry 22. Music – drums, piano, harpsichord, etc. 23. Armor design 24. Astronomy 25. Religion 26. Brewing Beer 27. Making Whiskey | 1. Ph.D. CS 2. Ph.D. EE 3. Ph.D. Physics 4. Ph.D. Comparative Religions 5. Study at MIT 6. Study at CMU 7. Study at UCLA 8. Study at Sorbonne, FR 9. Teach at MIT 10. Teach at CMU 11. Teach at UCLA 12. 6th Degree Black Belt 13. Kung Fu/Tai Chi Master 14. Master Magician 15. Clown College 16. Gymnastics under a Circus artist 17. Fencing under an Olympic master 18. Start a school to assist the ‘at risk’ students 19. Teach at the War College 20. Study at Oxford, UK 21. Teach at Oxford, UK | 1. Study at Shaolin Temple 2. Study at the Vatican 3. Study in Jerusalem 4. Study at an Ashram (Hindu) |
| Travel | Fun | Home |
| 1. Singapore, 2. Hong Kong, 3. Mt. Fiji (hike to top), 4. Tokyo, 5. Athens, 6. Paris, 7. Mexico a. Chichenitza b. Mazatlan c. Puerto Valarta d. Etc. 8. Central America (Mayan Ruins) 9. Peru 10. Brazil 11. New York 12. New England in the Fall 13. Cruise around the world 14. Fiji 15. Hawaii 16. Easter Island 17. Crete 18. Rome 19. Moscow 20. Around the work underwater (like in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea) | 1. Hike the 14-ers in CO 2. Hike Mt Fiji 3. Visit the London Museum 4. Conduct research in all the areas that I am interested in. 5. Develop my ideas for inventions 6. Train my pets 7. Learn to Juggle 8. Learn to do Magic tricks 9. Gamble in Vegas, Reno and Monte Carlo 10. Write Books 11. Blog my thoughts to 1,000’s of fans 12. Teach 13. Create art 14. Design and make blade weapons 15. Collect Comic Books 16. Collect blade weapons 17. Watch all the movies I would like to 18. Learn to throw a boomerang 19. Play with my grandchildren 20. Enjoy time with my children and their families 21. Enjoy time with my wife 22. Enjoy time with my extended family 23. Enjoy time with friends 24. Attend plays 25. Attend concerts 26. Attend comedy shows 27. Attend the circus | 1. Flying house to travel to visit family and places 2. Flying island for the house to rest on 3. “Underwater RV” to sail on and under the water 4. Large screen flat panel TV’s in all rooms 5. Man-cave a. Home Theater b. Home Sound Studio c. Music Room 6. Computer Room 7. Contractor on call! 8. Tom Swift’s lab in the back a. Manufacturing lab to build what I design 9. Pool (inside and outside) 10. Hot Tub (inside and outside) 11. Sauna 12. Jacuzzi tubs in all bathrooms 13. Bedroom and bathroom suites for everyone 14. Really great kitchen 15. Formal and informal dining rooms 16. Game room 17. Home Gym 18. Home Dojo 19. Video Conference room 20. Full Satellite channel access 21. Home Office for me 22. Home Office for Sara 23. Great Library |
| Self | Family | |
| 1. No more need for BP or Cholesterol meds 2. No more weight problems 3. Travel with family (my nickel) 4. Establish homes for orphans – as many as possible 5. Establish animal shelters 6. Read the great (and no so great) classics 7. | I have only one wish for my family: that they be healthy and happy in their lives. | |
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