My List

I haven't updated my blog in a while, and I thought I should post something. I've been trying to work out some different topics that I might want to write about - it's actually harder than I thought to find things to write about when there isn't really anything exciting or different happening in my life.

Except one thing - I've been reading a lot lately.

To anyone who knows me, this isn't really new - I've always read a lot. But the content has changed. Before, where I used to read about fictional characters, now I'm reading about things that I want to learn more about. I don't think I'll ever stop learning - it's just that with so much information out there and so many different specialized areas, I feel like what I'm missing is focus. I've read about herbs. And since I stopped actively reading about herbs, I've started reading about nutrition. Kind of a natural extension from working at a vitamin store. And from that, I've started reading about fitness and how to be healthy in general. And now I find myself fascinated by reading about children and pregnancy.

I suppose there is a common theme here - health in general. I want to know everything I can know about how to live a healthy life. But still the focus is missing. Everything I'm learning is something I want to know to live better, and being an analytical type person, I find I don't just want to know - I want to KNOW and be and 'expert'. But I already know that being an 'expert' on every topic I'm interested in is going to be impossible. Especially when each thing I learn about leads me to the next. Especially when I already have a list.

So, just for fun, I'd like to share my current 'interested reading' list of topics, and the ones that are on the list that I haven't gotten to yet.

1. Pregnancy and childbirth. This is #1 right now. Not sure why - could be the impending wedding, and my biological clock which currently yells at me once a month to get started reproducing. There are a lot of babies in the mall where I work. And when my clock starts going I notice every. single. one.

2. Nutrition and healthy eating and healthy sleep habits and exercise. Until recently, this was my number one topic. Of course, I can only read that same kinds of stuff so many times before I start to get bored - I need new information, not the same old stuff regurgitated in different ways.

3. Herbs and Vitamins etc. This is a natural offshoot of my job, which keeps it interesting. I have to say though - I have a love/hate relationship with television doctors. It leans more towards the dislike side when people come in asking for a product and, if it's unfamiliar and I ask what it's for, the people don't even know 'Dr.so-and-so said it was good'. Drives me insane - do your homework people! If you're taking something, you should know what it does, why you need it, and the benefits and risks of taking it.

4. Dance. different styles of it, and of teaching it.

And finally, my list of things to work on that I haven't really been actively learning recently - no particular order:

5. Horses. How to train them, their health stuff, and pretty much everything. I have a block on this one - I can blame it on not having easy access to a living creature or need to use said knowledge. but really, it's my lack of creating said access. I'm still working that one through.

6. Learn guitar. I just think it sounds pretty and I really want to be able to play.

7. Astronomy. I'm not sure what use this one is, but I really want to be able to look at the sky and recognize what's up there.

8. Aikido. I've always kind of wanted to know how to defend myself. To feel secure in my ability to defend myself if necessary. This particular discipline appeals to me. I'd explain why, but this post is getting long...

9. Sumerian life and pantheon. This one is for my pagan learning schedule. I'm going through my second year learning for the Spira group, and I'm probably about halfway through. And it's only taken me almost two years to get that far (click for more info). I really should move this one up to my first list - the sumerians are fascinating to me, and I have a few library books on them right now. The reason for my delay will hopefully finally come together in another post. It's in progress - I guess we'll see.

10. Gardening. I've been semi working on this for a few years. I've given up trying to have one in Calgary, on a shaded balcony that I never sit on because I hate the traffic noise. Why do I live in a city? I decided when I was a teenager that I didn't want to live in one ever, yet here I am. A part of me says it's easier, things are closer, especially since I don't drive. Another part of me shrivels up more and more with each passing year - which brings me to my next interest.

11. Becoming Familiar with the Wild. I was looking at a program that one of my friends has taken (click) and it mentions somewhere that most modern humans are only tourists in nature. I don't want to be a tourist - I want to feel at home in the wild. I feel more separate now than I ever did growing up. I want to get back the feeling of the land and wild places as home.
12. Natural canning and preserving. This is part of my wish to be self-sufficient. I want to homestead one day. I have a yearning to live a simpler life. To be able to grow and forage and preserve all or most of the food and things we need to live. I'm not sure I'll ever be able to do that in this world, but I really want to know.

13. Basically the rest of what I'd need to know for homesteading. Weaving, spinning, basic carving, hunting, etc. It's a long list.

So there's my list. Little wonder I feel so unfocused. I don't know what I should be learning first. All I know is that I want to know all of it. Might take me a while. What do you think? Is all that(and probably more) impossible?