101 Goals – 365 days later

Update: I have not been sticking to my list.

The mission to complete 101 tasks in a period of 1001 has not gone very well in the first 365 days. While some goals have been accomplished, others have fallen through the cracks.

I have journaled consistently about my experience though I have created a calendar to set smaller achievement dates for specific goals. I’ve read some self help material and have saved money tremendously, thanks to cutting back on media purchases. I haven’t, however, exercised or completed craft projects or whitened my teeth.

I’ve cut out sodas, thanks to the “no soda for 60 days” goal and I volunteer regularly but I have neither kept a food diary nor pampered myself properly. I’ve taken road trips, tried new restaurants and donated clothes but I haven’t begun to learn a new language.

The most consistent goal has been my Daily book of Positive Thoughts. This has added to my life’s “down” moments in the past year in ways that can hardly be put into words. I’ve also become quite good at deleting emails and finding new websites. I’ve read 4 books from the Essential Black books list, 2 from the Modern Library’s Top 100 list and watched 43 movies from the AFI top 100 list.

Today, I plan to do better. To start, I will review my list daily (which is goal #80) as I think this will help keep my goals fresh in my mind. I plan to also add an “unofficial” goal of blogging about my progress on a more regular basis. So, how about every…6 weeks? Yeah, I think that will be just fine. Gotta set my calendar before I forget…

29 completed (some goals are on-going)
Entire list (http://thephoenixdj.blogspot.com/2008/09/101-in-1001.html)

The 75¢ Experiment

Has anyone noticed that a variety of people – not all homeless or apparently destitute – approach different riders at varying stops and quietly request 75¢?

This has been happening for approximately three weeks and I’ve been analyzing the activity: older women, younger men, older men, younger women, varying races, times of day and the people they proposition have no set pattern either. They ignore the fact that you have on headphones (the international sign for the purposeful ignoring of any/all persons within close proximity) or the conversation you’re engrossed in with your neighbor. They seem willing to risk public ridicule and verbal thrashing – all for 75¢.

I’m astonished, befuddled, quizzically searching the cobwebs of my mind for anything worth 75¢ in today’s society. Even if that’s how much it would cost to exit the subway, sheer pride would force me to try for $1 at least. Furthermore, there aren’t too many cash-carriers left in our fear-laden society and of those I doubt they’d stop whatever they’re doing to search purses and pockets for loose change. Maybe that’s the hook – while you’re preoccupied, they beat you over the head. Hmmm…you never know nowadays.

But my heart nearly breaks every time I hear the plea – even though my lips are poised to ask several of the questions posed above. But I promise you, the next time I have 75¢…