Next?

I love making lists, like many of us do.

When I can’t sleep, I make lists of what I’ll pack for a trip I’m not taking. Nevertheless, I’ll be prepared to look casually hip for a spontaneous excursion to the city, or for an overnight in the Northeast Kingdom if the opportunity pops up.

I’ve written about Bucket Lists before, as some of my reading friends know. I don’t care for them. In fact, hearing about them bugs me almost as much as the thought of making one.

A bucket list, in my definition, reinforces what one has yet to accomplish. That’s depressing and too much of a challenge.

Instead, I have a Next Life List (NLL). It’s not so much about physical accomplishments, like running a marathon, or climbing mountain peaks, as it is career options.

• I have no medical skills, nor have I been in hospital administration, however I’m good under pressure and quick on my feet. I would be an excellent diagnostician doing triage.
• I’m unable to clip my cat’s claws or my mother in law’s toenails, but I can see developing compassionate living arrangements for old people and animals to spend their twilight or dark days together, safely and comfortably before going over the rainbow bridge. I’d be a great community organizer.
• I can’t make up my mind between regular pencils, mechanical pencils, fountain pens, roller balls, and cheap hotel retractables when I’m dilly-dallying, nonetheless I know the relationship between hand and paper is important. I’d be an intuitive inventor of things that allowed people to enjoy writing even more.

This current life of mine has involved a lot of patience, or learning about patience. How will that be of benefit in my next life?

It will make it easier to see the forest and the trees, to listen and provide what is needed, to improvise, and create.

What’s really nice is that an item on a NLL could get ticked off in this life. You just never know.

I like being prepared almost as much as packing and making lists.

Namaste- Reinvention? Reincarnation? Who’s to say?