frail gestures

OK, so here's an idea I got from another blogger, who compiled a list of 50 things she wants to do with her life.

I don't think we have one reason for being, but many.

So far, I have 39 "goals." Some are little, some are big, some I'll probably look back on and think "Why?!"

But here they are:

1. To travel to each of the continents, except Antarctica (too cold)
2. To earn a graduate or professional degree
3. To learn to like driving.
4. To learn a non-Romance language
5. To improve my credit rating.
6. To do a pullup.
7. To do 10 real pushups.
8. To own a house.
9. To see the Great Reef
10. To scuba dive
11. To do a walking tour of the Grand Canyon
12. To have a byline in a publication read nationwide
13. To run for office.
14. To memorize good Scrabble words
15. To learn to play the violin, again
16. To attend the Olympic games
17. To see a taping of "The Daily Show"
18. To retire comfortably
19. To research my family's geneology
20. To see the parts of Ireland my ancestors lived in
21. To live in New York City
22. To live abroad
23. To fall in love, and have it last
24. To have courage when I do
25. To be comfortable singing
26. To be trained as an EMT
27. To have a room with full bookcases on all sides
28. To exercise every day
29. To take pictures
30. To drive across country, again
31. To have children
32. To be just a little bit nicer
33. To learn to stop on ice skates
34. To be able to change the water jug, again
35. To write a book
36. To teach a class
37. To own original art
38. To spend time in the researchers' division of the National Archives
39. To learn to waltz

Always stumbling, sometimes falling, I have learned along the way that making decisions is not always difficult because one has too many choices, but rather because one has only one life. That reality makes for infinate forks in the road and forces a person to decide what she will live for. I feel like I have a drawer full of forks. Plastic ones, well-shined silver ones, elaborately decorated ones.

The newest one is law school. I got my first acceptance today, but utter surprise since it's only the middle of January and I figured it would be at least one more month. I got it in an e-mail and gasped outloud in disbelief that something that has been such a focus of my life for the last six months -- nevermind extraordinary expense -- is actually an option.

But I stand here wondering if I want to give up what I have. My job is already an immense learning experience; each day is an education unto itself. Today, I researched the House majority leader election in 1998, when Dick Armey had to defend his post amid growing discontent with the leadership. One day, it's the budget process. Another day, it's a Senate race. I get to stand in the gym, watching Trent Lott on C-SPAN and take mental notes for what I'm going to do with my day later, based on what he says. There's something about seeing the smirk on his face and guessing what he'll say that I can't quite articulate. And, yes, there is C-SPAN in New York, but would I care so much if this weren't my life, my career?

Do I postpone law school? If I don't, where do I go? Where they give me money? Where I'll be close to home? Where the academic reputation is the greatest? Where I'll simply be happy?

For now, I suppose, I'm just going to be grateful that I have choices. The more, the better.

Went to the Alito hearing today. The following actually happened as he and Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., were discussing judicial precedent:

“I personally would not categorize precedents as super or super duper.” -- Alito

“Did you say super duper?” -- Specter

Well, it's 2006. A new year and a perfect excuse for journalists to rehash, recycle and reassess. Or better yet, to write their stories before the holidays and have the copy ready to go so they can stay on vacation.

• The New York Times Science section writes, "From pandas to penguins, 2005 was the year of the adorable." The story is actually fascinating, focusing on the factors that make young animals, and people, cute. The lede, though? Eh.
  
• More interestingly, the Washington Post columnist Eugene Robinson details the "too good to check" stories of 2005. He writes: "The mayhem was front page news. But later, when the dead were recovered and autopsied, authorities found no spike in homicides the week after Katrina hit. Same with the reports that miscreants were shooting at rescue helicopters." More interesting, but given that it's a column, there's not the space for real detail.
  
• The Bangor Daily News and surely dozens of other newspapers snoringly detail the best and worst of 2005. I admit, though, that I agree with the author, who writes, "A return to gauchos - I've never met a woman who looked good in them. Sure, all that drapelike fabric seemed like a good idea, but really, it wasn't. Cropped pants, yes. Gauchos? Not so much." Seriously, no more gauchos.
  
• Particularly "ick"-worthy is the Allentown, Pa., Morning Call's "year in review" on movies celebrities liked best in 2005. Nuff said.

As a journalist, I understand the frustration one feels lacking the luxury of normal hours, etc. But if you're going to do enterprise stories, can't you be moderately investigative rather than futzing around on Lexis Nexis until you come up with a good rehash piece?