Blog: Mel's Muse - Innovation & Profundity - Competition Short List - 5 Things I'd Like To Do Before I Die

Posted: Friday, 3rd October 2008

Related Posts: Final Day

A PROCESS OF ELIMINATION

Wow! I’m glad the response to my competition on the Five Things I’d Like To Do Before I Die wasn’t overwhelmingly large. It’s much more difficult than I realised to judge something like this fairly. I’d hate to be a Booker prize judge! But thank you, again, to all of you who took part. You can read the comments by clicking Day 14 and Day 9.

REPETITION

Using a colour-coding, the first thing I did was to eliminate repetitious replies. Remember, I said: The winner will be the comment which I consider to be the most innovative (Concise Oxford Dictionary definition: innovative adj. new - of ideas) and profound (adj. and n. having or showing great knowledge or insight; demanding deep study or thought; deep or intense)? I understand the desire to travel to strange and exotic places before you die, but so many of you cited this as one of your wishes that I decided it didn’t meet the criterion of novelty - and would have to go.

Much as I empathise with those wanting to be slim, conquer an addiction to chocolate before next week, or have thin thighs in the foreseeable future, they were ditched for the same reason.

Admirable though they were, comments about having grandchildren (without putting pressure on your offspring) or great-grandchildren met a similar fate, as did those wanting to see their children come to faith.

ACHIEVABILITY

My second measure was to eliminate those items which came into the category of things you could do without too much trouble if you put your mind to it. Building water-features, finishing a quilt, learning to paint or to love Dickens, and making a proper Yorkshire pud (see tomorrow’s post for recipe) all come into that category in my way of thinking. Even regaining (or retaining) your memory and brain cells is achievable for most of us by lifestyle, diet and mental stimulation (see tomorrow’s post for inspiration). We can all take steps to achieve these wishes – and I’d urge you, and myself, to do so.

Likewise, being a professional photographer, having an artist’s garret, building an eco-home, spending time with dolphins or being in full-time Christian ministry – though harder than simply taking classes to learn a skill – still can’t be ranked as either a novelty wish or even particularly insightful. They are all things you could do if you really put your minds to it. You only live once on this earth. Do it!

LACK OF FEASIBILITY

Being a time-traveller or having a supersonic plane had to be eliminated because they didn’t comply with the rules, which said that your choices had to be something possible.

THE SHORT LIST

That left me with four wishes which, in my view, most aptly express the criteria of innovation or profundity:

1. growing straight carrots
2. discovering why coloured soap lathers white
3. learning to be content in all things
4. knowing what one should be doing for the rest of one’s life

HAVE YOUR SAY

Please leave a comment to let me know which of the four you think should be the winner. I don’t guarantee to accept your choice, but it would be an interesting exercise – and a bit of fun. And in all this economic gloom and doom, DO WE NEED FUN!

ANSWERS BY 10^TH OCTOBER PLEASE. WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED ON SATURDAY 11^TH OCTOBER, 2008

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Comments for this post are now closed. Thanks to all who contributed.