If I Could Do Anything...

Illustration from Bridge to Terabithia
Effects via PicMonkey

Recently Jessie at Young Georgia Love, one of my new favorite blogs, wrote about what she would do if she could do anything. I loved this post because it  looked beyond the scope of a career. We live in a society that puts so much emphasis on what we "do." Most of the time, "what we do" is just another way of saying "how you earn your paycheck." 

I'm guilty of being a workaholic and career-minded to a fault. Currently, I'm in the process of finding a new job. Reevaluating my career goals has also given me the opportunity to evaluate what makes me happiest. Life is about being and doing...and there is so much more to those things than simply how your bills get paid. 

If I could do anything, I would travel. I would drive across the country, take back roads and eat pie at greasy diners. I would take pictures with disposable cameras and write the stories of people I met along the way. I would stand atop mountains, explore national parks, and get lured into tourist traps. I would swim in the ocean, go to museums, and buy local art. I would hop a plane to Italy. To Greece. To England. To Germany. Back to Key West. I would take a train across Alaska. I would take a cruise on the Mediterranean. I would meet new friends, make new memories, and breathe new air.

If I could do anything, I would create. I would write short stories, memoirs, and maybe a novel or two. I would write constantly. I would learn to knit more than just scarves. I would splatter paint on canvases, throw pots, and make jewelry. I would sew throw pillows, aprons, and dresses. I would learn how to sing, join an orchestra, and play "Hallelujah" on my violin. I would write, produce, and star in a one woman show (tentatively titled, "The Fattest Girl on Stage"). I would play Magenta in The Rocky Horror Show. I would repaint, redecorate, and rearrange our apartment monthly. I would be satisfied with my creations.

If I could do anything, I would run my own business. It would be a cafe/bakery/art gallery. It would be called "Oh, Honey" and I'd have beehives in my rooftop garden. I'd give free coffee to college students and retirees, or anyone who could tell me a good story. I'd sell local art and collaborate with local artists to make the place beautiful. I'd bake honey oat banana muffins, peanut butter honey cookies, and honey vanilla cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. I would scribble the menu on a giant chalkboard, decorate with fresh flowers, and always prop the door open. I would live and breathe community. 

If I could do anything, I would change the world. I would write the life stories of hospice patients and hold their hands. I would serve soup, sort clothing donations, and hand out blankets. I would pay for the groceries of the person in line behind me at Meijer. I would go on a TOMS Giving Trip. I would help build houses and dig wells for clean drinking water. I would pay it forward, starting in my own back yard. 

If I could do anything, I would live with reckless abandon. I would walk the length of the entire shore of Lake Michigan. I would run the Chicago Marathon. I would be on Broadway. I would go ghosthunting. I would be a dog walker. I would find myself while losing myself in Europe. I would move to Portland. I would search for Bigfoot, the Lock Ness Monster, and UFOs. I would ride in a limo. I would spend the night in a library. I would time travel with my husband. I would host SNL (live from New York) and dodge Matt Lauer's questions about my personal life on the Today Show. I would cover myself in tattoos. I would find buried treasure, Amelia Earhart's airplane, and Jimmy Hoffa's briefcase. I would finally get around to watching Twin Peaks. I would have lunch with Tina Fey, Tom Hanks, and Kermit the Frog. If I could do anything, I would wake up every morning excited to get out of bed and seize the day. (Maybe there's hope.)

If I could do anything, I would just be.

What would you do?