My "Things I Will Never Do Again" List

I ran across this concept awhile back. Well, the real name of the list is a "F**k It" List (a play on the movie The Bucket List-- you know, things you want to do before you kick the bucket.) The idea is to create your own list about things that you will never do again before you kick the bucket. Since I prefer to not drop the F-Bomb (such an ugly, uncreative word, people), I am calling my list, "Things I Will Never Do Again." (Although, I gotta admit, there's something very definitive about the original name of the list.)

One day, I just realized that there's not too many things that I gotta do to feel like my life's complete. Don't really care about climbing any mountains. Or jumping out of any planes. Or traveling any place in particular (although I'd really like to go back to Italy with Jason and Anna someday. Though if it doesn't happen, eh.) The big things for me have been covered... I have a family and I know Jesus.

But I am reaching an age (35) where I am finding that I am just done with certain things. Maybe it's a woman thing. After years of trying to be a "nice" and accommodating lady, I'm sick and tired of finding myself in frustrating situations... situations that, for the most part, I brought upon myself just for being unable to say "NO." I just realized that life is too darn short.

Ellen's "Things I Will Never Do Again" List

1) Cut my hair super short. Yes, it looks cute for awhile, but the upkeep is not worth it. I am not the type to get my hair cut every six weeks, which is what is required to keep from looking like Ponyo. I always regret it and then it takes me two years to grow it out to ponytail length, which is how I like to wear my hair anyway.

2) Feel spiritual guilt about taking anti-depressants. I go through this every couple of years. I am doing great on my anti-depressants, then someone comes out of the woodwork and starts pressuring me to get off of them. Starts telling me that I am just not praying enough. Or reading my Bible enough. Or allowing God to heal me. At first I blow them off. But then it starts to eat at me and I start to question. I wean off of the meds and I do fine at first. But slowly but surely, the depression creeps back. I wrestle and wrestle with going back on the meds. I finally relent. Bingo. Find myself praising God for the gift of anti-depressants and His amazing mercy. I think I will just skip that cycle from now on.

3) Take responsibility for an animal that I haven't officially adopted. I even thought I might go a step further and say "an animal I haven't paid money for." But then I remembered that I paid money for my demon chihuahua, Squirrel, who held my life hostage for three years. I even thought I might go so far as to end the sentence after the word "animal"... as in, I will never take responsibility for another animal ever again. But that's too final. There might come a day when we are ready to pick out an old lazy, fat, housebroken golden retriever and adopt him. I won't rule that out. But what I will rule out is trying to save and rescue every pathetic creature that comes my way. Letting them poop and pee and hairball all over my house. Taking on animals that aren't my responsibility and having them die in my hands and having to explain it to my daughter-- all because a pet hoarder did not get her 37 cats fixed. No more.

4) Put the my safety (or any member of my family's safety) in danger, due to social pressure. Whether it is "Oh, that's just the way we do it" or "Oh, you are being too uptight" or "Oh, you are being too overprotective" or "Oh, let the kids be kids" or "Oh, it will be fine".... I am done. Forget it. Let your own kid run around wild near the pool. Walk to the end of that darkened parking lot yourself. No, my 5-year-old does not get to walk to the restaurant bathroom herself unsupervised yet. Yes, I leave my shopping cart next to the car and not take it over to the cart corral because I'm not leaving my kid in the car alone. Yes, you may give me dirty looks. But I don't really care anymore.

That's really all I have for now. I'm sure I will add more as I grow older.

Do you have anything you will never do again?