What do you seem to be destined NOT to do?

[Cupcake Fiend]

Is there something you want to do, but life and other things keep getting in the way?

Mine is Scuba diving.  DH and I got certified together shortly after we started dating.  The only dives we have ever gone on were our certification dives, which I don't count because it was in a quarry. (I want to dive in warm, tropical waters with pretty fish  )

Since we had to travel to our wedding, we decided to delay our honeymoon trip by a few months and go to the Cayman Islands to dive.  We started planning the trip 2 months after our wedding.  3 months after our wedding I was pregnant. (we were trying but thought it would take longer).  So that trip got scrapped.  Fast forward a couple of years.  Some friends invited us to go with them to their time share in Hawaii.  Two weeks later...you guessed it...pregnant again!  We did the math and realized that at the time of the trip I would be about 7 months along and Thing 1 (also invited) would be 18 months old.  No way was I getting on a plane at that stage of pregnancy with an 18 month old!

Since then, there has not been an opportunity to go anywhere to dive.  DH jokes that if we are going to have a third child, all we need to do is plan a diving trip somewhere!

(I was reminded of this because our PADI membership just expired.  So if we do want to dive, I guess we need to get recertified at this point...)

So, is there something you have always wanted to do or tried to do and it doesn't seem to be fated for you?

[mumma to KMC]

Going back to the Art Institute in Chicago. I went with a group of friends a few years ago but didn't allot enough time to see all that we wanted to see. (To be honest, I didn't think that I would spend 10-15 minutes admiring an El Greco painting, but I did and many others too.) So when dh and I got engaged and I moved closer to Chicago, I told him that I wanted to go back when we had time/money. First trip planned we had to cancel due to a medical er. Second trip, we planned to take 2 of our nephews and hit a few other places too. We planned to go on "free" days and save a few dollars.

Our car broke down on the Dan Ryan. After getting ripped off by a tow truck driver (he nicely took advantage of our out of state plates) we only had time to go to two places. Since we had dns with us we went to the aquarium and the Museum of Science and Industry.

I will make it there, I know I will someday!!

[mrsbrandt]

I really seem destined to never make it to the Shedd Aquarium.  Whenever I have planned any trips there something always comes up.  I can promise that once I'm staying home in April, I will definitely go atleast once before we move out of the area.  It'd be nice if I could couple it with one of the free days.  I've always wanted to go really badly, but it's just never worked out well.

[kingsrings]

Great discussion topic!! A few years ago, I decided I wanted to become a small-plane pilot. So I signed up for two introductory courses, and haven't gone back yet. For one, it's very expensive to become certified, and I don't have the funds. I could just do it gradually to save money, but I want to do it all, at once, or nothing. And learning to read aerial maps looked soooo complicated and intimdating that I don't think I could do it, and I don't want to be a failure. Here I went around and excitedly told everyone I was going to fly a plane soon, but after a while they stopped asking me as they could see I've about given up on this goal.

Finishing college. Sounds nice and I'd like to do it, but again, it's a money and tiime thing, even though I know there are a lot of scholarships and Pell grants out there that could help me. It's mainly time management. Call me a slacker, but I don't want to have to give up my many activities and social outings because of school studies. I work full-time, and I don't want my life to be just working full-time and going to school full-time. I would have no life what so ever! Plus theater arts is not exactly the most highly marketable major, so it's not like I'm missing out on a great career opportunity.

Oh, if I were to ever win the lottery, marry a rich man, or inherit money, I would quit my job. Then I'd finish my college degree, and then become a licensed pilot. 

[fklwmn]

Yeah, how about marry the man I love?

I've been waiting for that for... well just about my whole life. Finally found him last year and... well you know the rest of the story.

I've finally given up on that 'dream.' It's not something I can make happen on my own so it's not a 'goal' to work towards and it's obvious to me that even though it's the life I always wanted... it's not the one I am destined to have.

Besides, by the way he ran away in a screaming panic at the idea of being married, I've become convinced that marriage MUST be hell, and therefore not something I want after all.

*gearing up for life as an old maid*

[Cupcake Fiend]

I will make it there, I know I will someday!!

You will!!!

[Cupcake Fiend]

I really seem destined to never make it to the Shedd Aquarium.  Whenever I have planned any trips there something always comes up.  I can promise that once I'm staying home in April, I will definitely go atleast once before we move out of the area.  It'd be nice if I could couple it with one of the free days.  I've always wanted to go really badly, but it's just never worked out well.

I hope you get to go!  Living so close to Philadelphia, there are lots of things in the city I really want to do, but the opportunity never seems to come up.  I think I need to start making my own opportunities.

And aquariums are fun w/little ones.  We took Thing 1 to the Baltimore Aquarium when he was about 8 months old.  I enjoyed watching his expressions as he saw everything just as much as the exhibits.  And he has his own little aquarium now (10 gallon tank w/a few guppies & bottom feeders) and he still loves to watch the fishes.

[Cupcake Fiend]

Great discussion topic!! Thanks!

A few years ago, I decided I wanted to become a small-plane pilot. So I signed up for two introductory courses, and haven't gone back yet. For one, it's very expensive to become certified, and I don't have the funds. I could just do it gradually to save money, but I want to do it all, at once, or nothing. I approach most things the same way.  I'm in or I'm out, but never halfway And learning to read aerial maps looked soooo complicated and intimdating that I don't think I could do it, and I don't want to be a failure. Here I went around and excitedly told everyone I was going to fly a plane soon, but after a while they stopped asking me as they could see I've about given up on this goal. This sounds like something I would do!

Finishing college. Sounds nice and I'd like to do it, but again, it's a money and tiime thing, even though I know there are a lot of scholarships and Pell grants out there that could help me. It's mainly time management. Call me a slacker, but I don't want to have to give up my many activities and social outings because of school studies. I work full-time, and I don't want my life to be just working full-time and going to school full-time. I would have no life what so ever! Plus theater arts is not exactly the most highly marketable major, so it's not like I'm missing out on a great career opportunity. I never finished college either - I give up enough of "my" time to working, what's left I want to spend doing what I want to do.  I'd like to become a speech therapist, so maybe once the boys are in school I'll give it another shot.

Oh, if I were to ever win the lottery, marry a rich man, or inherit money, I would quit my job. Then I'd finish my college degree, and then become a licensed pilot. 

[Cupcake Fiend]

Yeah, how about marry the man I love?

I've been waiting for that for... well just about my whole life. Finally found him last year and... well you know the rest of the story.

I've finally given up on that 'dream.' It's not something I can make happen on my own so it's not a 'goal' to work towards and it's obvious to me that even though it's the life I always wanted... it's not the one I am destined to have.

Besides, by the way he ran away in a screaming panic at the idea of being married, I've become convinced that marriage MUST be hell, and therefore not something I want after all.

*gearing up for life as an old maid*

I'm so sorry 

[Ulla dances in a silly way]

Play any more instruments.

I used to love music. I loved to play and I always wanted to play as many different instruments as I could. Since then, the attitudes on the music world have jaded me against that. I got tired of being looked down at, of being behind because I couldn't afford private lessons, of all the DRAMA. I just wanted to play.

I have a mandolin, a guitar, and a ukelele that I cannot play. I inteded to learn but I doubt I'll ever get around to it. At this point, I'm not sure I can stand the drama again.

-Ulla

[kingsrings]

Can't you just take private lessons with someone for purely recreational, fun purposes? I know there are a lot of music teachers out there trying to make a living out of just giving private lessons, so it seems like you would be able to find something that satisfies you.

[LadyJaneinMD]

Yeah, how about marry the man I love?

I've been waiting for that for... well just about my whole life. Finally found him last year and... well you know the rest of the story.

I've finally given up on that 'dream.' It's not something I can make happen on my own so it's not a 'goal' to work towards and it's obvious to me that even though it's the life I always wanted... it's not the one I am destined to have.

Besides, by the way he ran away in a screaming panic at the idea of being married, I've become convinced that marriage MUST be hell, and therefore not something I want after all.

*gearing up for life as an old maid*

Same here.  I've been in love exactly twice.  Both times, after wasting several years of my time, the guy has ripped my heart out and stomped on it, publickly.   Never again.  I'm too bruised and battered to ever try again.

Old maidhood isn't so bad.  I never have to fight for the bedcovers.  When I put something down, it *stays* there. 

[Thipu1]

It seems that I cannot get to see Ellis Island.  We've gone twice and both times, I didn't get to see anything.  The first time we went was with Mr. thipu's parents.  the only thing they wanted to see was their names on the wall.  That was a gift we gave them a few years before.  It was off the boat, go to the wall, snap a picture and get right back on the next boat.

the second time was even worse.  I never got to get off the boat at all.  We were showing some relatives around town and were going out to Ellis Island. I had to be back in Brooklyn to pick up time-sensitive material before the place closed.  We left in plenty of time but the relatives were so slow that, by the time we got to the island it was obvious that, in order to make my time schedule, I'd just have to stay on the ferry and hightail it back to Brooklyn as soon as it landed.   

[kingsrings]

Thipu-don't worry, you're not missing much. (runs and ducks for cover from the uproar of all the Ellis Island/historians fan's protests)

[Ulla dances in a silly way]

Can't you just take private lessons with someone for purely recreational, fun purposes? I know there are a lot of music teachers out there trying to make a living out of just giving private lessons, so it seems like you would be able to find something that satisfies you.

That's the thing, I can't afford it. I learned to play the flute and piccolo (gag!!) through band in middle/high school. There is a beginner guitar class here at my college, but it's for classical guitar and I have an electric. So I'm out of luck until I have money and FSM only knows when that will be. The way I'm going, I think I'll be flat broke forever.

-Ulla