A list for '23
A set of rules for living from now on (in no particular order)
- Life is too short to look at adverts. Avoid them where possible. Block them if you have to.
- Embrace risk and chance, as they have contributed the most to where you are now.
- Intervene into physical things and leave your mark upon them. Draw pictures on the blank pages of books, even if they are dear to you. Fill your notebooks before buying yourself new ones. Insert name tags in your clothes.
- Every day should be an attempt to see new things, and out of things, people like most to be seen.
- As good as it is to solve puzzles, try and avoid the rut of constantly solving the same puzzle lest it no longer require any mastery.
- Learn the 13 times table. (This is where I need to start, then I will move up to 17 and on up through the prime numbers.)
- Have a business card. Try to cram in as much information on both sides.
- Write write write. I will not be happy until I put some sort of rubbish on my blog every day. Actually I could be writing three blogs but I need to get better at writing one first.
- Write out lists of quotes that inspire you in a notebook. Give those notebooks out as gifts. It’s not like anyone will read the quotes, much less take them to heart. But at least they’ll have a sampler for decoding your written notes after you shuffle off the mortal coil.
- If you have reached the age of forty three and don’t know how to knit, fucking well learn to knit a scarf. Of course, this does not apply to learning to drive, which is a violent and dangerous activity.
- Ask people about their tattoos and indulge your curiosity about how much they/it might have hurt.
- The reason for drawing terrible sketches, writing awful jokes and getting absolutely nowhere with the garden is simply to enjoy that process of being shit at things and making mistakes. Show people the bad stuff as well as the good stuff.
- Even at the middle of your life, there aren’t that many lunches left. You might want to alternate between what you like and what you’re curious about. (I freely admit that at the moment I am a terrible stick in the mud when it comes to my very conventional lunches.)
- Try to establish the clothes you most feel like yourself in (presumably these are also comfortable) and always wear those.
- Touch typing is a skill that is surprisingly enjoyable to practice. It’s like getting your left and right brains together to plan a heist (while they argue over who gets the G and the Y)
- Eat slowly, savour the flavours. Unless you are a guest and your host has expressed anxiety about the success of their culinary adventure, in that case you should savour or galumph it down as politeness dictates.
- When you’re asking someone if they need a bit of help, remember that some people need more cajoling than others. Remember also that some people won’t feel comfortable accepting help no matter how you press; sometimes you have to come back to it later.
- Adopt a new pose for every photo people take of you. Give the facial recognition overlords something to work with.