trying new things

We all have bucket lists but often they border on the impossible or way-too -expensive to really be realistic. As my friend and I discussed bucket lists one day, we drifted slightly off the subject to another friend of hers. Apparently this woman has the habit of doing unusual things at least once a month. The concept is to expand personal ability and continue to learn new things. Wow! Doesn’t that sound great?

My friend and I continued to chat about new experiences and decided to somewhat copy this idea. We’re calling it a cup list. It’s much smaller than a bucket list and much easier to obtain. We have vowed to do something each month that we’ve never before done. For January, I registered to take an American Sign Language class. I always wanted to learn beyond the few words that I do know.

My friend and I are talking about maybe doing some sort of food by going to non-American-style restaurant that we’ve never tried. That might be difficult for me, as I’ve eaten plenty of unusual foods in my life. But I’m game. Although there have been times I really didn’t want to know what I was eating. (It tastes like chicken, it tastes like chicken, it tastes like chicken. Yeah, right. NOT!) This time, I can choose. The idea is to learn something ahead of time about what we are eating or the country from which it came. We’re not in school and we don’t need memorize the gross national products. But wouldn’t be interesting to know where this particular fruit…

This year will be the year of personal growth with cups filled with new things to explore and do. I don’t know what will go into February’s cup or any other cup. I think it might be fun to just wait and see what things become available or where my interest might take me. Maybe it will be a class in art history, or an opportunity to do something I would have never dreamed of doing, but now I have eleven cups to fill. I must fill them. I’ve filled my first one with classes in ASL (American Sign Language).

We should never stop learning or pushing ourselves to try new things. Besides it’s easier to place a tick mark next to a cup than it is to try to put one beside a bucket. It’s also a whole lot cheaper then those things on the bucket list. If you’ve never eaten… You just might like it and discover that you will frequently eat it. Remember the cup needs to be new or different. Maybe you’ve had Asian food but you’ve never tried taro. Stick it on your cup list. Have you always wanted to take a class in baking or cake decorating or maybe a class on brewing your own beer or wine making? Maybe a class will come available this spring and you can stick it in a cup.

The fish that I am, would you believe I’ve never snorkeled? I’ve had those cheap kiddie things that if weren’t careful the water poured in through that tube. Maybe I’ll get lucky and find such a thing available near where I live. Maybe I’ll order that exotic coffee I’ve wanted to try. I’ve got eleven cups to fill!

In a convoluted way, I should have an interesting year, and when I’m finished, I can look back and see all my accomplishments. Pick small things like mini treats for the brain to savor. If I make my tongue happy, too, that’s even better. What if I discover that zip-lining is something I never want to do again? That’s okay because I can at least say I did that once. No, I’m not going to jump out of airplane! I don’t mind pushing myself to do things, but there are activities that to me are off limits. Parachuting is one of them.

The other fun thing about cups is that they don’t have to cost a thing. Other things might cost a few dollars, but remember to keep the cups reasonable and not something super expensive that might be better on a bucket list. But if that bucket list item pops up, don’t ignore it!