MLL #27 Go to a Drive-In Movie

When I think of a drive-in movie my mind automatically jumps to ‘Grease’. I think of dark nights, large bright screens, lined up cars, couples making out, popcorn and John Travolta in tight jeans. But just like poodle skirts, I thought drive-in movies had gone out with the seventies. But I added “Go to a Drive-in Movie” to my life list anyway. I thought there was something very romantic about them. And I was right. During the summer of 2008 my boyfriend invited me to come out to a drive-in movie with his family one Friday night. I didn’t know there were any drive-in movies in Philly, and there aren’t. This one was in Jersey. “What time does the movie start?” I asked, and they answered simply, “When the sun sets.” I remember sitting in the backseat of the SUV with my boyfriend, his little brother and three little sisters, his parents in the front. I recognized the route as the same one my best friend and I take to the shore. The movie was not near the shore but I swore I could smell salt water in the air.

When we arrived cars were lined up to pay. Once we paid and drove inside the sandlot area I saw cars lined up spaciously in front of a large white screen, just like in the movies. We found a spot we liked and unpacked the car. We had chairs and blankets and sandwiches. Unlike the movies, no one sat inside their cars, everyone laid out next to their cars on blankets or in fold out chairs. At the concession stand my boyfriend bought me some chocolate covered pineapples, which I immediately swapped for popcorn after just one taste.

Soon, the sun had set and the big white screen came to life. It was a double feature. The first film would be ‘Hancock’ which had just come out that day, followed by ‘Don’t Mess With the Zohan’. As I laid back in my boyfriend’s arms I noticed that it was a clear night and the stars were watching with us. I fell asleep during ‘Zohan’. No, I didn’t see Danny Zucco wailing dramatically, or Rizzo stomping pass our car, but it was still very magical. Trust me, there’s nothing like seeing a movie under the stars.

MLL #12 Run A Charity Run

In October 2009 I had raised money for the AIDS Fund and was signed up to run the annual 5K. The morning of the race I stayed in bed under my blankets. I didn’t think it mattered because I had already raised and turned in my money. Which it didn’t. Not to the organization anyway. But as time went on I realized that it mattered to me. I said I was going to do something and then I didn’t do it. So I put ‘Run A Charity Run’ on My Life List because even if the Fund didn’t mind, I felt like I owed it to the universe.

So in October 2010 I raised money again for the AIDS Fund, then on the cool morning of the 5K I got out of bed, with a sore leg and made my way down to the Art Museum with my friend, Riyad. He held my things as I stood at the start line with tons of other Philadelphians. And we took off. It was great. I finished in about 32 minutes. My leg didn’t break in half. Riyad was waiting for me at the finish line with a Gatorade. I felt as though the universe and I were even. For now.

MLL #8 Quit My Job

Talk about dead end jobs. I started working at Kohls towards the end of my senior year in high school. It was just supposed to be a summer job, but it ended up lasting four years. It wasn’t a bad job in the beginning, I was content. But I didn’t notice myself getting comfortable. Too comfortable. After 3 years I was working under an entirely new management team; a very chaotic and provocative management team. My contentment turned to misery but I was comfortable. Sometimes when you get too comfortable in a situation you settle for a life you never bargained for.

I added “Quit My Job” to My Life List about two years ago. Not because I felt like I was too good for the job, that wasn’t it. Not because the managers had no sense of respect, though they didn’t. Not because the pay was low and benefits few, though that was indeed the case. Not because almost all of my high school classmates shop there, see me and ask, “You still work here?”, though that did kill my self-respect a little each time. I’m lying actually. I added this to My Life List for all of these reasons and more.

In August (2010) I called the store to call out and my least favorite manager answered my call. When I told him that I wasn’t coming in he kind of threatened me. He threatened my job anyway. Then he put me on hold. And this was the sign, the hold music was ‘Say’ by John Mayer. So when my manager got back on the line I did as John Mayer instructed and I said everything I needed to say. My manager was taken aback and told me, “I think you’re going to regret this.” And I said, “I’ll take my chances.” It’s been 5 months since I quit and the only thing I regret is that I didn’t do it sooner. For a while I was broker than my usual broke but I got back a part of myself I had forgotten existed. And that’s priceless.

MLL #24 Go Parasailing

Everytime I think of parasailing I think of that Jurassic Park movie. You know the one, where the boy is parasailing over the island and the harness comes loose and he goes flying off and gets lost on the island. Well, I added “Go Parasailing” to my life list anyway. Despite the disaster of it, it still looked fun.

June 2009 I was in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic with two friends, Jessica and Sherre when we decided to go parasailing. I wasn’t afraid; I thought it was going to be a blast. I couldn’t wait to feel the wind in my hair. I remembered a banana boat ride I had taken in Freeport, Bahamas back in 2003. That banana boat had been the most fun I had ever had and I was sure parasailing was going to top it. We sat in the speed boat putting on our life jackets as we raced towards the middle of the crystal blue ocean. Soon we were strapped into harnesses, all three of us. Jessica and I side by side and Sherre, being the smallest, in the front. Then little by little we were raised into the air.

Looking down it seemed as though the boat had stopped. It didn’t appear to be moving and we sat suspended in the air almost still, only moving with the wind. Had the boat been moving I think I would’ve had the speed to excite me. But sitting practically still I had the feeling that we were going to drop at any second. So I kept looking down at the surface of the water. It was a long way down. I saw patches of seaweed that my mind tricked me into thinking were shark silhouettes. So first I’m thinking how bad it’ll hurt when we plunge and hit the surface of the water, then how I’m gonna defend myself against a deadly shark. After about 5 minutes of “Oooohing” and “Aaahhhing” at the beautiful view of the resort in the distance, I turned my attention and energy to trying not to shit myself.

Once I was safely back in the speed boat I concluded that the banana boat in the Bahamas was still the most fun I had ever had in my life.