What Do You Want To Do Before You Die?
CJ's Discussions
The Life and Times of CJ
Profile Information
- Buried Life Goal #1
- Give a home to at least two foster kids
- Buried Life Goal #2
- Climb Mt. Kilamanjaro in Benj's memory
- Buried Life Goal #3
- Learn Spanish. Speak it fluently.
- Buried Life Goal #4
- Give a lecture that changes someone's life
- Buried Life Goal #5
- Visit Peru
Hey, my name's CJ....
...but you can call me 'Siege' or 'Coup' if you like - my mates do, anyway, cause we've got a fairly warped sense of humour. I started my 'bucket list' some years ago, after a congenital heart defect I've had since I was born but didn't know existed was triggered really bad in the worst possible place - behind the wheel. I passed out and can't remember much of the next few days, except that, by pure luck, my dad was able to get us to the side of the road and stopped before I could cause a major pile up. After waking up with my best mate holding my hand and my parents just a few metres away, I spent the next 3 months in and out of hospital as we fought to control what had become the biggest force in my life.
Then, I lost my best mate - and it was the biggest wake up call of my life.
I realised that just because I was sick did not mean I had to stop living my life. So I went around to every room I was allowed into and I talked to every person I could find and I asked them the same question you guys do: What do you want to do before you die? Between us, we compiled a list 153 items long. Some we were able to complete, some not yet... some have been passed on to myself and others, as we lost the person who originally wanted it. Since then, I've made friends all over the world - including a platoon of US Marines who were serving active duty near Fallujah, Iraq. Their items were added to the list as well, and those KIA will be remembered by the completion of their tasks - though I think that one request of Benji's to climb Mt. Kilamanjaro may have to be passed on someone else!
Every single day we're faced with choices. Go left, go right, take the train, walk, go to work, stay home... and every action has a ripple effect. Make your actions count. Make them right. Make it so that when you look back on the ripples your life triggered, you can smile and say with pride; "That was me. That was my choice, and it was right."
To Ben, Dave, Duncan and Jonnie - Your ripples are gonna just rock. Congrats and many MANY thanks!
Catch ya on the flip side! :P
-CJ
Then, I lost my best mate - and it was the biggest wake up call of my life.
I realised that just because I was sick did not mean I had to stop living my life. So I went around to every room I was allowed into and I talked to every person I could find and I asked them the same question you guys do: What do you want to do before you die? Between us, we compiled a list 153 items long. Some we were able to complete, some not yet... some have been passed on to myself and others, as we lost the person who originally wanted it. Since then, I've made friends all over the world - including a platoon of US Marines who were serving active duty near Fallujah, Iraq. Their items were added to the list as well, and those KIA will be remembered by the completion of their tasks - though I think that one request of Benji's to climb Mt. Kilamanjaro may have to be passed on someone else!
Every single day we're faced with choices. Go left, go right, take the train, walk, go to work, stay home... and every action has a ripple effect. Make your actions count. Make them right. Make it so that when you look back on the ripples your life triggered, you can smile and say with pride; "That was me. That was my choice, and it was right."
To Ben, Dave, Duncan and Jonnie - Your ripples are gonna just rock. Congrats and many MANY thanks!
Catch ya on the flip side! :P
-CJ
What is The Buried Life?
The Buried Life is a network of people answering the ultimate question: What Do You Want To Do Before You Die?
It was inspired by four guys on a mission complete their own list of 100 things while helping strangers do the same.
It was inspired by four guys on a mission complete their own list of 100 things while helping strangers do the same.
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my grandmother is probably one of the sweetest southern ladies you will ever meet in your life. although, she does smack me around when i get out of hand. but her cooking is finger-lickin' good. Imagine the best peach cobbler you have ever had, and then TEN TIMES BETTER! haha!
as for your games, thats the best kind of party to have! im still young, only 17 (18 in september) but me and my friends will stay up all night playing twister, apples to apples, life, monopoly (even though we never finish) and anything else you can think of. we love boulderdash! prob the best game you could ever play is with cards though. we love to play bullcrap. lol. too funny.
Aww thanks so much for the welcome! Reading about The Buried Life guys really inspired me to get off my butt and actually start doing the things I want to do instead of just thinking about them.
Being in the choir for the Olympics and Paralympics in Sydney must have been such an awesome experience!! I was watching as much of the games as I could so I probably heard you! I really hope I get to volunteer in Vancouver/Whistler. I get so excited watching from home, but being there must be just so exciting!! As for the bagpipes, my ancestry is pretty much all Scottish and I've been doing highland dancing for many years. My Mom used to highland dance and my Dad and his Dad play the pipes. So with that and spending almost every weekend of the summer at one highland games or another I've fallen in love with them and the camaraderie in the pipe bands (the band people are always really friendly and hilarious to). It's so great you started playing! I'm amazed at how not so great the pipes can sound at first but then with a bit of practice some really interesting music emerges, and with just 9 notes!! Brilliant!
I also (sorry this is turning into a novel!) just wanted to mention how much I love how you started your "bucket list"! It's incredible how you looked the world in the face and decided to REALLY live, asking other people the same thing. What gave you that courage or boosted you into making that choice (I guess you'd call it a choice)?? I can only hope I would be as strong as you. You are definitely making ripples and they are rockin' to!
haha, you live in Australia (one of my goals) and I know frequent Spanish (one of your goals) we should work something out.
I know Spanish as much as I know English. So, I know it pretty well.Thanks for the welcome comment though.
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