My Year of Living Humorously

Living the Life

My Year of Living Humorously

Feb 10, 2015 | Living the Life

My Year of Living Humorously

Feb 10, 2015 | Living the Life

you are only young once image

Ready to ride – I hit the Go Karts on my birthday!

You are only young once, but you can stay immature indefinitely.

-Ogden Nash

I had a birthday over the weekend, and though it didn’t end in a zero I sort of dreaded this one – perhaps because I’ve been feeling a bit boring lately. As Solo PR Pros, many of us work alone, so the occasional funk can happen (yes, I choose to call this a funk, rather than a mid-life you-know-what).

So I had a thought: “when I turn 50 in a few years, maybe I should resolve to do 50 things I enjoyed when I was younger.” But then I thought, “why wait ‘til my 50th? I can do them now!” I got a jump start on the fun on my birthday, which I chose to spend riding Go Karts and playing arcade games (it was just what I needed).

In case others may find this endeavor worth trying – or in the event it will inspire you to make up your own personally motivating exercise – I’m sharing my list of silliness below. Obviously, everyone’s list will be different (many of mine are embarrassingly girly and/or boozy J), but consider this an invitation: would you like to join me in my year of immaturity? 🙂

In no particular order, I plan to do one thing each week until my next birthday:

  1. Ride a moped at the beach
  2. Tell someone off when they're being sexist
  3. Wear really big earrings
  4. Make a big deal out of Valentine's Day
  5. Spend an hour on the phone with a friend
  6. Do some old-school dance moves (The Bird, anyone?)
  7. Chew bubble gum
  8. Take an unplanned road trip
  9. Watch music videos
  10. Have a party and invite everyone I know
  11. Volunteer at the Food Bank
  12. Go to a music festival
  13. melrose_place_season_two_dvd__1___large_Watch Melrose Place
  14. Play a practical joke 
  15. Stay up late and sleep until noon
  16. Play a board game
  17. Write a letter
  18. Wear makeup every day for a week
  19. Play a game with a child
  20. Go to the midnight showing of the Rocky Horror Picture Show
  21. Read a book for pleasure
  22. Go to a movie without reading the reviews first
  23. Spend a day outside at the park
  24. Go shopping and try on outfits I would never purchase
  25. Go to the drive in
  26. Watch a weird underground movie
  27. Take a long time getting ready to go out
  28. bartles-jaymesDrink wine coolers (do they even make these anymore??)
  29. Go see the Stone Mountain laser show
  30. Throw water balloons at somebody 
  31. Watch Harold and Maude
  32. Go see a musical
  33. Wear something inappropriate 
  34. Color in a coloring book
  35. Ride bumper cars
  36. Wear my hair big
    (it used to be really big, ya'll)
  37. Play a board game
  38. My friend Sutton and I met "Wonder Woman" at the famous Bourbon St. Awards

    My friend Sutton and I met “Wonder Woman” at the famous Bourbon St. Awards in New Orleans

    Be a New Orleanian for a day

  39. Wear a wig and a boa (most likely combined with #38!)
  40. Blow bubbles
  41. Dance on a table
  42. Have a picnic
  43. Go to a punk show
  44. Make an impulse purchase
  45. Spend a day “lying out” by a pool
  46. Do a pub crawl with friends
  47. Have a Cat Stevens sing along
  48. Eat at a midnight buffet
  49. “Get the Led out” at 9pm (a Memphis tradition!)
  50. Swing on a park swing

I’ve been compiling this list for over a month now, and I have to say just reminiscing has been a ton of fun – I can’t imagine what it will be like to do them! Did I miss anything? What would be on your list? Let us know in the comments!

[ts_fab authorid=”1″]
Written By Kellye Crane
Kellye Crane is the founder of Solo PR Pro, which provides the tools, education, advocacy and community resources needed for indies to succeed and grow. She's a veteran and award-winning communicator with more than 20 years of experience - 19 of them solo.

15 Comments

  1. I love this list! Last year I made a list of 50 ways to celebrate my 50th birthday all year. It was a combination of silly, fun things; things I would do more of to change for the better; volunteering; and stretch goals. It was awesome! This year I’m doing a similar smaller list but 3 things per quarter. I see some things on your list that I might steal! 🙂

  2. Thank you for wedging that earworm “The Bird” into my brain for the rest of today. Hallelujah! I love this list. If you’d like company for #11, I’m game. I did #29, so it’s safe for you to skip it.

  3. Love it! And yes, please steal away (it’s The Bird, right?). J

  4. You’re welcome. 🙂 Yes, I do other volunteer activities, but when I was younger I loved the Food Bank – there’s something zen about sorting all those boxes…

  5. This definitely made me smile! Drink wine coolers? Ohhh, boy! I hate being a grownup sometimes. What an ideal way to fight it off. Thanks for a great idea!

  6. Run through a water sprinkler in the summer. If no sprinkler is available, just get silly with a garden hose.

  7. Thanks, Jennifer – I was in danger of becoming too grown up. 🙂

  8. Good one! I wonder when water from sprinklers became something to fear, rather than enjoy? Probably around the age a gal starts worrying about her hair!

  9. I’m closer to 50 than you – I’m inspired by this list. Will be thinking about my list.

  10. Great idea, and thanks for sharing your list, Kellye.

  11. So which one are you doing (or did you do) this week?!

  12. I should have included “make ‘magic potions’ using laundry detergent with my cousins”! J

  13. Thanks, Gail!

  14. This week is “make a big deal out of Valentine’s Day.” Most years Tim and I just look at each other and say, “Oh, it’s Valentine’s Day today. How ’bout that.” 🙂

  15. Oh, I should’ve guessed! You’ll have to let us know how it goes. 🙂