Lots of people nowadays have a bucket to do thing–a never-ending list of all the fabulous things they wanna do before they die.  I’ve decided on a list of things I wanna do before I’m an official, can’t-deny-it-anymore grownup and turn Forty.  Any Freudians out there, please refrain from drawing any conclusions about my perspective on being Forty and being dead!

But first, a picture of a baby alligator and a mini back story.

I’ve met alligator before, but that was on the end of my fork and tasted rather like slightly fishy chicken.  This was my first time eye-to-eye with a ‘gator, and I was pretty impressed.  Despite having what looks like electric tape over her mouth and our hands all over her, this little gal has a knowing look in her eye.  She may be just a skinny little two-year-old now, but when she grows up, she knows she’s going to be a big strong alligator.  I met just the kind of someone she was thinking of a day or two later at Ibis Pond on Pinckney Island.

This dude was cruising through the assorted ducks scoping out his dinner, and quickly ducked down when he caught us watching–the better to eat us, you know?  But I got a good look and I’m guessing he’s a very respectable five or six feet long alligator gent.

Are you picking up the same similarities I am?  Still a toddler at two, reaches adulthood height of five or six feet at around 25 years of age?  And, the real kicker, can live up to one hundred years old!  These ‘gators sound much like us humans!  Don’t you think?  They’ve even got that ‘don’t mess with me’ attitude I for one have been known to cop!

Which brings me back to the Before-I’m-Forty list.  Thinking about alligators made me realize that there’s a few things I want to do or learn before I toddle bow gracefully into the second half of my life.  They’re kinda random cause nobody said it has to make sense, but something inside me says I can’t be a ‘real’ grown up ’til I’ve done these things.  Here my list!

• Run a 5k (don’t ask me why a black belt thinks this defines entry-level coolness…it just does)
• Go whitewater rafting
• Learn to play SOMETHING on the violin (and no, the dog can’t be whining while I play it)
• Publish a novel (self publish doesn’t count less I make enough off it to pay minimal bills)
• Go to a concert (can you believe I’ve never been?)
• Go somewhere foriegn and exotic (yes, I’ve got a mental list of qualifiers…Alabama need not apply)
• Get passably good at knife throwing

Pretty good list, eh?  I think so.  Lots of things I want to do can wait, and that’s cool.  These are just the things that’ve been hanging around undone in my head since I first looked around and realized I was there.  First up to scratch off is running a 5k, which I’ve already started training for…and hurting for! lol  Wish me luck, cause every once in awhile my inner alligator thinks it tastes like chicken!

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