things i did project.

JoJo

2012-03-02T14:40:00.005-08:00

At a very young age of 6 or 7, jumped off a 10 ft tower at a swimming pool and loved the thrill which started me on my life of roller coaster, exciting rides and thrills, and best of all the skyjump in New Zealand.

Turned my wild life around at 15 with a geometry class when the teacher started to challenge me with math problems that I always solved, and I ended up with an average of 110, which started me on a college bound life in the sciences and math.

Met my "soul mate" in 1962 while in Europe but didn't reconnect until 2009.

Married someone I didn't love and knew it, but married him anyway. It did end.

Privilege of being the only person to get evicted from a York, ME campground after being there for 15 years, but which ended up being a blessing in disguise.

JoJo, age 70

C

2012-03-01T15:33:00.001-08:00

Devoting myself to learning/understanding/knowing Spiritual Mastery (14 years strong and still evolving).
"Ethically" sold crack (never trying it or using it myself, no first time users allowed - no getting non-users hooked, no custy's under 18 y.o., no pregnant women sold to, no fake placebos offered) for over 3 years full-time and thankfully never got caught (yeah, I know, it's fucked up but, I was young and ignorant at the time).
Quit smoking cigarettes cold turkey (7 years no cigarettes!)
Was a uber-prolific youth activist (from 19 y.o. - 26 y.o.) and was actively responsible for being a founding member of numerous Youth committees/sub-committees throughout Toronto/GTA (many of which are still active today).
All voluntary, and yet I still didn't/have not 'sold-out' to any of the so called "PTB", and remained committed to being of service to truly helping especially the marginalized.
Created own, unique, one of a kind brand (and possibly even genre) of poetry.

C, age 42 years young

Cj

2012-02-28T15:00:00.001-08:00

Made incredible love in the rain up against a VW van.

Have seen the sunset over Big Sur.

Gave birth to an amazing boy.

Held the hand and heart of a dying man.

Felt whole again in the ocean.

Cj, age 35

Claire

2012-02-27T11:01:00.002-08:00

In Nursery I made a clay snail so good it was presented to the principle...and sadly never saw it again.

I drew felt tip pictures and sold them to my family member for 10p each.

I won an award for my degree work and used the prize money to buy two tree frogs.

Panicked when I learned my mum had cancer and didn't make any art in my studio for days.

I immersed myself in sculpting and drawing to not focus on the bad things around me and discovered a new material to work with.

I won an award in London for my artwork and sold it for a lot more the 10p...and mum got the all clear.

Claire, age 24

Patti

2012-02-21T14:05:00.000-08:00

I wrote a play when I was six years old where I was the princess and my sister was the prince and the dog, and got the neighborhood kids to watch for a dime.

I designed a house and built it with hand tools with my ex-husband who I taught to swing a hammer.

I swam at night in Long Island Sound among luminescent jellyfish that lit up if you bumped them, it was like swimming in the galaxy.

I visited every week my sister in the schizophrenic ward and tried to know her, see her, as she is.

I lightly kneaded half a cup of butter into two cups of powdery flour with my fingers to make batter for scones while listening to Pink Floyd's The Wall and puzzling how to finish a painting.

Patti, age 57

Kim

2012-02-21T06:07:00.001-08:00

I took the band 'THE GUESS WHO' to the laundromat in my 2 seat Honda CRX.

I played with a wild monkey in Mexico and let it teeth on my hand.

I met and became friends with Dr. Ala Bashir.

I achieved my life's goals of becoming a mother and professional artist.

I Live to Love others.

Kim, age 49

Nick

2012-02-21T06:02:00.000-08:00

I accidentally ran over a bunch of ducks (I have to stress the 'accidental' portion of this).

I almost died in elementary school when I choked on an ice cream, cried, because the teacher's aid didn't believe that I was choking.

When I was 5 my appendix burst and I almost died again, because my parents just thought that I was sick.

I have laughed so hard that I farted.

I had sex in a concert venue bathroom.

Nick, age 25

Chris

2012-02-16T09:26:00.000-08:00

I have traveled to Europe and while in France I got stopped by the French soldiers pointing their guns at me for walking under the Eiffel Tower at night.

I am an artist at heart and have designed a few buildings around the United States.

I have helped homeless people emotionally, simply, by just listening to their stories.

I am a Muay Thai fighter.

I have cheated on an ex-girlfriend 7 times that she doesn't know about, but I learned my lesson and wont ever repeat that. Don't want to follow the footsteps of my father who abandoned me.

Chris, age 24

Paqua

2012-02-15T15:05:00.000-08:00

I married a man that has AIDS.

I chose to turn down $200,000 cash settlement in a lawsuit and ended up losing at trial.

I gave CPR to a guy that had no heartbeat and was not breathing and he lived.

I stole a 12 pack of pepsi and a bag of ice from a grocery store.

I sold my lapidary polishing machine for food.

Paqua

Holly

2012-02-15T15:01:00.000-08:00

Took a road trip through Manitoba with almost no money, when I was 18.

Lived in Germany when I was 20-21/22.

Volunteered to help build houses in Mexico.

Work with kids who are diagnosed with behavioral/emotional disorders.

Continue loving this life.

Holly, age 30

Lee

2012-02-11T18:46:00.000-08:00

I left my heart in Ireland.

I have had to find food in dumpsters.

I have flirted with rock stars.

I have seen too many shooting stars and forgot to make wishes on them.

I have been lost in Japan.

Lee, age 27

Samantha

2012-02-11T18:43:00.000-08:00

Survived 10 years of childhood sexual assault.

Became a comedian and cabaret artist.

Had sex with a man on a beach during a cyclone.

Visited a stranger in a prison in Bulgaria.

Loved and was loved by a beautiful dig, until his final day.

Samantha, age 26

Kylie

2012-02-11T18:38:00.000-08:00

I fell in love with art in a way I have never loved another human being.

I contemplate starting my life over on a daily basis.

I have fallen in love three times in my life time and out of love only once.

I have had the same best friend since 2nd grade.

I have traveled to two continents (not including the one I live on) and hope to leave footprints on three more before I die (I have no desire to go be cold in Antarctica.)

Kylie, age 25

Lesley

2012-02-08T05:56:00.000-08:00

I have been in the darkest depths of depression.

I made the Denver Center laugh without saying a word.

I have had a nerf war with my cousin's and their kids and used skills I picked up from Halo.

I have been "that bald girl."

I am poor, and pursuing my art, and happier than before.

Lesley, age 28

Kristen

2012-02-06T17:45:00.000-08:00

I fell in love in Venice.

I became a mother.

I quit my paying job to follow my dreams.

I saw a ghost.

I married my best friend.

Kristen, age 35

Brittney

2012-02-03T14:58:00.000-08:00

I made a pros and cons list when I first met my love now of 7 years.

Danced around naked in front of a slow shutter speed camera.

I killed my gecko by accidentally overheating his terrarium. His name was Fernando.

I used to be obsessed with my weight and lost too much weight.

I witnessed my brother fall out of reality and become suicidal.

Brittney, age 24

Carter

2012-02-01T19:07:00.000-08:00

I had a house burn down around me while I was "lounging in my robe and slippers," as was reported in the local paper.
I've seen the sun set on Mt. Katahdin, Delicate Arch, and the Great Western Divide.
I served as a chaplain on a geriatric psychiatry ward.
I've actively considered suicide.
I've eaten wild strawberry pie.

Carter, age 55

John

2012-02-01T08:30:00.000-08:00

The Smithsonian Institution once bought a piece of my artwork.

I've been teaching college ever since I was in college.

I ran with the bulls in Pamplona in wingtip shoes.

I shot myself in the face with a bow and arrow.

I roasted a lamb on a spit over an open fire on an Aegean beach in Greece.

John, age 42

Boz

2012-02-01T08:27:00.000-08:00

I have a Masters Degree.

I am a romantic.

I don't want kids.

I have traveled to Europe and want to keep traveling. I hope to visit every country.

I have written a graphic novel.

Boz, age 27

Layla

2012-01-31T18:38:00.000-08:00

I'm in the midst of recovering from one of the most difficult times in my life.

I moved to New Zealand to study art for a year without ever having been there, knowing no one, and having no money.

I laid on a picnic table at dusk, in the Grand Canyon, and watched hundreds of bats hunt for their dinner.

I dropped out of college twice before returning at age 30. And I kicked ass.

I was on a trip going from Fort Worth to LA when my train derailed in Palm Springs.

Layla, age 36

Scott

2012-01-28T10:50:00.000-08:00

I built a raft out of drift wood, Huck Finn style, and spent a month floating the magical wilderness of the Yukon River.

I fell in love three times and am afraid it won't happen again.

I broke into an abandoned house, fixed it up, and lived in it.

I fell in love with life and dared to live like it, despite my battle with depression and anxiety.

I laid in the Sun with my eyes closed and smiled.

Scott, age 29

Michele

2012-01-26T18:29:00.000-08:00

Was put up for adoption at birth, but spent 2 months in a Catholic orphanage and another 16 months in a foster home before being adopted.

I became a Christian at age 7, but rededicated my life to Christ at age 36.

Volunteered, with my oldest son, cleaning apartments at Ground Zero the week after Thanksgiving, 2001, after 9/11.

My daughter made me a grandmother in 2010 to Lillie Ann Mae.

Shot pool with both my sons.

Michele, age 46

Bets

2012-01-26T18:22:00.000-08:00

I have painted beautiful paintings in many beautiful places around the world.

I have run many, many miles.

I have learned how to love, and love unconditionally through raising 2 children.

I have mourned the loss of family through death and estrangement.

I have written 2 thank you notes to families who have donated their loved ones' corneas so that I may see.

Bets, age 60

Gina

2012-01-24T14:26:00.000-08:00

I am 53 and have kept a daily journal since 7th grade(1977)

Since age 18-50 i was in some sort of mental institution 34 times and one nursing home.

One state mental facility there was an art dept. (i might mention i was there 1yr) out of bordom i checked it out. much to my surprise i became an artist in my own right.

I have sold 6 originals and countless #'s of prints.

I co-founded & establish a mental health organization to educate,train and empower the mentally challenged w/bi-polar disorder,schizophernia,depression and schizoffective disorder. It's called Advocates of Abilene,inc.we apply for grants. The first year we recieved a $15,000--7yrs later we are recieving 3 grants>$60,000,25,000,15,000 grant.

Gina, age 53

Rich

2012-01-24T07:40:00.000-08:00

I've been mistaken for Larry Bird...a lot.

I've driven more than a million miles.

I married my soul mate.

I've been a professional clown.

I've been voted Boston's Second Funniest Professional.

Rich, age 48

Clara

2012-01-24T07:32:00.000-08:00

I sang "America the Beautiful."

I ate hot cheese curls.

I rode the train all night.

I buried two teddy bears.

I named a cat.

Clara, age 23

Alaina

2012-01-16T10:32:00.000-08:00

Had a baby at 18, gave it up for adoption.

Married a musician at 31.

Traveled to Italy and Mexico.

Received a Masters degree at 58.

Continue to regret giving my baby away.

Alaina, age 59

Janice

2012-01-16T10:30:00.000-08:00

I have been humbled by the faith and perseverance of a refugee family from Rwanda whose education in their homeland was discounted by ours, but rather than sulk, they sucked it up, started from scratch and began again.

I have learned what it is to "live on hope" from a homeless woman who spends all of her monthly disability check on bus fare and living in shelters or on the street, chasing a lover she's only known over the phone.

I have accepted the invitation into the sacred space of numerous people's lives to stand vigil with them at the bedside of loved ones as they draw their last breath.

I have become close friends with a few certifiably sane folks, sitting around a table every other Friday for several years, in a donut shop owned and operated by Boat People from Cambodia who've made it big selling hole-y food.

I've lived in the Valley, worked on the stage, owned a restaurant/catering service, been editor of a magazine, taught school, and graduated from seminary at age 50 only to learn that life has just begun!

Janice, age 56

Catherine

2012-01-15T15:44:00.000-08:00

Lived in 41 different homes between the time I was born and high school graduation.

Moved as an adult across the country with only $60 - no apartment or job - and succeeded.

Had lots of sex in my 20's but no orgasms - and more sex in my 50's with many orgasms.

Went broke in my 40's and discovered true friends.

Launched a career as a nude model at 51 - and found that you can be fat & fifty - and fabulous!

Catherine, age 52

Vivion

2012-01-14T12:37:00.000-08:00

Hiked the Grand Canyon during a lightning storm.

Sat a 3-month meditation retreat at a Korean Zen monastery.

Hauled water and chopped wood - out of necessity, not on holiday.

Witnessed births and deaths.

Learned that love takes inexhaustible forms.

Vivion, age 47

Holly

2012-01-14T12:34:00.000-08:00

I earned an A in calculus after a lifelong struggle with math.

I ran through traffic to intercept a street fight.

I learned to draw when I started over.

I climbed a volcano even though I'm scared of heights.

I listen.

Holly, age 41

Erin

2012-01-13T16:51:00.000-08:00

I've changed careers 3 times.

I've gotten married.

I graduated from college despite a disability that held me back.

I taught English to a class of Brazilian teenagers.

I went to Nicaragua on a volunteer trip and didn't really end up doing any volunteering except for painting a post for a half an hour.

Erin, age 32

David

2012-01-12T15:07:00.000-08:00

I had 1 love.

2 children.

I was in 2 wars.

I drank too much.

And ran for 30 years and now I can barely walk.

David, age 50

Tom

2012-01-12T14:57:00.000-08:00

Played the Mad Hatter, 1st acting role, in 'Alice in Wonderland', in Mrs. Mowrey's preschool, Newport RI, aged 10 approx, 1937. Stuffed younger brother George (the Dormouse) into the teakettle facsimile.

Years later was Prospero in 'The Tempest,' (American Theater Co, Portland OR, in the 70's); wept openly (but managed to keep the lines clear) in the epilogue. Retired.

Sailed the Atlantic twice, once as the ship's cook, with four others, each time in a 45-55 ft. sloop.

Learned to pray.

Almost drowned.

Tom, age 85

Meg

2012-01-07T19:43:00.000-08:00

Made a little girl's Christmas dream come true even though I didn't know her.

Wrestled in Blood (literally but at least it was stage blood.)

Kept making art to make people smile even when I was dying inside.

Broke too many bones and took too many hits from those I loved.

Held my grandmother's hand and remembered her stories when no one else would.

Meg, age 22

Clara

2012-01-07T10:22:00.000-08:00

Began a drama class for autistic teens.

Survived a suicide attempt.

Found someone I trust above all others.

Come out as pansexual.

Fell in love when I thought love was just a myth.

Clara, age 17

Margaret

2012-01-02T18:18:00.000-08:00

At age 10, I wrote down my life goals for an assignment: own a dolphin, fly a plane, visit a rainforest, write a book.

At 14, I won a baby bottlenose dolphin in a contest, her name was Tina, she lived at an oceanarium.

At 34, I got my pilot's license, won an airplane and went on to become a flight instructor. I used that plane to fly scientists over the Pacific Northwest rainforests for the next 10 years.

My book was published in 2008, and I'm working on an expanded revised edition.

Margaret, age 54

Karen

2012-01-02T11:58:00.000-08:00

Bone marrow donor.

Traveled to Africa and taught students at a private school.

Graduated with a B.A. in Visual Arts Studies.

Survived a car wreck in which my vehicle rolled several times on the freeway.

Met Mrs. Coretta Scott King and Kristie King (wife and sister of Dr. Martin Luther King.)

Karen, age 32

Lori

2011-12-31T16:33:00.000-08:00

Passed the California Bar.

Took a 25 foot cab ride.

Turned my back on great opportunities.

Loved, love and will love my son.

Built a house that is too big to be a home.

Lori, age 41

Vicky

2011-12-31T16:29:00.000-08:00

Overcame childhood poverty.

Adopted a child.

Survived cancer.

Rode my old bike 65 miles in 110 F degree temperature with hubby.

Shared how to have a relationship with Christ with others.

Vicky

Kristen

2011-12-29T14:08:00.000-08:00

I cracked a hard-boiled egg on the Colosseum in Rome.
I used to love to run.
I once was obsessed with the game craps, and made craps sets for everyone in my family for Christmas gifts.
I was a passenger in a 1958 Oldsmobile that drove from Oakland, CA to Portland, OR overnight so the driver could turn in her final paper for class.
I sang a song in my grade-school variety show called Peanut Butter and Jelly in 3rd grade.

Kristen, age 42

Gwen

2011-12-29T14:05:00.000-08:00

Born and brought up in Ottawa, Ontario.
Moved away for 20 years and traveled with the Military.
Fell in and out of love too many times.
Never looked or acted my age.
Love to babysit and dog sit.

Gwen, age 57

Philip

2011-12-28T12:24:00.000-08:00

Taught english in a small village school in the Republic of Georgia.
Stopped drinking alcohol.
Helped my Uncle Mike thru the last year of his life (he was my age, died of the cancer.)
Lost faith in my art.
Moved (again.)

Philip, age 56

Douglas

2011-12-27T08:38:00.000-08:00

I wanted to grow up to be a pilot.
I left the nest with great expectations.
I lived under a bush in the woods.
I started over again.
I rented an apartment.

Douglas, age 50

Sandi

2011-12-22T14:26:00.000-08:00

Became a mother of 3 fantastic kids.
First person in my family to get a masters degree.
Funded my own education.
Raised a princess pumpkin.
Traveled to 8+ countries with more on the bucket list!

Sandi

Audrey

2011-12-21T07:32:00.000-08:00

I was born and raised on a chicken farm in the New Jersey Pine Barrens and helped my Mom and Dad collect and candle the eggs.
I discovered through a black and white negative developed afterward exactly where Socrates had walked, taught and held philosophical discourses in Athens.
I climbed Mount Olympus behind a mule pack after a snow storm.
I adopted 2 life-long companions (my cats, Nounou and Champagne), found among thorny bushes outside a stone windmill house on a Greek Island.
I experienced war-torn Mogadishu, Somalia as a UN photographer during the period of Black Hawk Down.

Audrey

Teri

2011-12-19T06:45:00.000-08:00

I was diagnosed dyslexic and designated Educationally Handicapped in third grade, and became the first in my family to earn 3 associate's degrees and attend University (my grandfather had a third grade education.)

I took acid.

I ran off with the circus.

I became a union stage technician in LA.

I am with my amazing husband of 20 years.

Teri, age 47

JoAnn

2011-12-15T07:18:00.000-08:00

I learned more by living my life than studying for it in college.

I lost my soul to a poodle.

I built a successful insurance agency from scratch.

I rented a limo and pretended to be Carly Simon's back up band (who was in town playing.)

I never give up.

JoAnn

Hawk

2011-12-15T07:13:00.001-08:00

Tried to kill myself.

Made myself proud by becoming a published Alternative model.

Partied with celebrities.

Raised my best friend/son, Weeko, from a pup.

Met the love of my life, lost the love of my life.

Hawk, age 25

Eleanor

2011-12-15T07:00:00.000-08:00

Battled wind.

Fell off a horse.

Flew.

Met a National Geographic photographer.

Played Guitar

Eleanor, age 15

Michelle

2011-12-14T06:26:00.000-08:00

I was born.

I gave my mom hell everyday of my teens.

I fell in love with a 1978 Camaro.

I spawned two punkrats...and love then more than my luggage!

I live. now. everyday.

Michelle, age 36

Ernest

2011-12-12T06:29:00.000-08:00

I was a volunteer firefighter for six years, with multiple ranks including Chief Arson Investigator. I helped secure the conviction of a man for burning down a church.

I led police on a high speed pursuit, with speeds up to 150mph. I never spent time in jail for my crime.

I flew from Chicago to San Francisco for a date.

I talked someone out of committing suicide.

I performed rock music in Peru, South America in front of 2500 people.

Ernest, age 43

Jane

2011-12-10T11:43:00.000-08:00

I parachuted out of an airplane at 3,000 feet - and lived to tell about it.

I said "No" to Steve McQueen.

I designed a cottege inside a 10,000 sq. ft. horse barn utilizing four 12'x12' stalls for the downstairs rooms.

I went to law school 16 years after getting my BA in English - hated it/never practiced law.

I prepared a barely edible dinner for 12 at the request of a friend hosting a birthday party for her mother - and years later was a successful caterer.

Jane, almost 64

Snarko

2011-12-10T11:37:00.000-08:00

Accidentally flashed a priest.

Jumped 60 feet off a cliff at Paleface into water (lesson: cross your legs!)

Run the entire political campaign, David Van Os for Texas State Attorney General, nearly single-handedly.

Created my own tarot deck based on Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales.

Dyed my hair every color of the rainbow, and still do.

Snarko, age 40

Sarah

2011-12-09T17:14:00.000-08:00

I dropped out of H.S. and got my GED.

I was addicted to crack and heroin.

I had a baby when I was 19.

I went to college, and dropped out.

I healed.

Sarah, age 29

Ben

2011-12-08T14:12:00.000-08:00

I was rejected from The Peace Corps.

I had a face-lift.

I shared a birthday.

I sang professionally.

I married and remarried.

Ben, age 64

Mireya

2011-12-08T14:07:00.000-08:00

1982 I invent an Easy Easel, an Easy paint Keeper palette and World on waves sculpture.

2000 I design and create the First Gallery in Motion.

2003 I created an Art Museum

2005 I created the First Art Mobile Museum in USA.

2007 I create the First Art Installation with a non-toxic floating painting cubes.

Mireya, age 73

Lisa

2011-12-06T08:06:00.000-08:00

Won money on a TV game show.

Was the first person in my family to obtain a Bachelors Degree.

Had a baby.

Found the love of my life.

Recorded at Sun Studios in Memphis, TN.

Lisa, age 57

Patti

2011-12-05T18:55:00.000-08:00

I was a military child and lived in the Philippine Islands twice while growing up.

I went to 13 schools in 12 years.

I clean houses for a living.

I sell my mosaic and stained glass art.

I am the leader of the Military Brats Street Team group on etsy.com

Patti, age 56

Jeanne

2011-12-03T19:28:00.000-08:00

I developed arthritis in my early 20's (after I was married to my first husband) which made me finally realize that life is short and I better get busy and make a mark in this life or I would not live a worthy life.

After receiving my bachelors degree in art, I received a divorce from my ex-husband, because he fell in love with one of his students, therefore I decided to go to grad school for art.

I had my first child (Lucas the biggest love of my life) at 42 and have raised him on my own.

At 46 I married my second husband, Michael, and for the second time developed a severe case of arthritis.

I have continued to be an artist.

Jeanne, age 47

Valerie

2011-11-29T13:42:00.000-08:00

Rescued donuts from the dumpster under the cover of darkness.

Sipped cocktails with the supreme court.

Quit my real job to be a road manager for a rock band.

Walked the plains of Africa.

Caught my backdoor neighbor dancing in his tighty whiteys....

Valerie, age 41

Kristen

2011-11-29T13:38:00.000-08:00

At 23 I cared for my mother who was ill with cancer and watched her die.

At 24 I got married.

At 26 I had my first baby.

At 28 I had my second baby.

This morning for breakfast I made coffee, eggs, oatmeal. green smoothies and cut up apples and grapes.

Kristen, age 29

Jessica

2011-11-28T17:04:00.000-08:00

Disappointed everyone by dropping out of high school 3 months before graduation.

After 9 months of working dead-end jobs I got accepted to 3 Universities with my nearly perfect GED scores.

I watched my mother grow from a single teen mother to mature woman, now married with 4 other children.

Wasted 8 yrs being really depressed and blinded by immature thoughts of suicide.

Realized one day that I was surprised to be still alive and astonished by what I've accomplished.

Jessica, age 20

Robert

2011-11-28T16:53:00.000-08:00

Returning from the Peace Corps I crossed the stormy sea from Columbia to Panama in a canoe with some albino Indians from San Bias.

Escaped from a military prison in Washington State and fled to Mexico where I met my wife.

While meditating in Bombay (now Mumbai) had a vision of Jesus.

Had a second vision of him in the Anza Borrego desert of California and made translations of the four Gospels from a pacifist-Unitarian viewpoint.

In 2011, walked through a biker's street party in Sarasota Florida admist curses and death threats carrying a sign that said, "God hates wars and those who fight them."

Robert, age 68

Roly Chang Barrero

2011-11-28T16:48:00.000-08:00

I was a member of ACT-UP (The AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power).

I traveled the world as a flight attendant for United.

I earned a BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

I opened an ART Gallery in Boynton Beach Florida called ActivisArtistA.

I fell in love with a man named Gil.

Roly Chang Barrero, age 49

Charlene

2011-11-27T12:14:00.000-08:00

Caregiver who watched the terrible disease of Cancer take away the love of my life, my husband.

Educator of Middle School and Graduate students, who can hopefully make a difference in the lives of my students.

Received the Make a Difference Award as one of the Top Ten Teachers in 1999 from the Anti-Defamation League.

Learned to accept my family for who they are and have realized that I define who I am by my own actions and not by what others may think.

Keeps a journal to record my feelings of joys and sadness.

Charlene, age 54

Anne

2011-11-26T09:49:00.000-08:00

Made models of "The Life Cycle of the Cat Flea" in polyester resin for the Australian Museum.

Worked radio tracking Grey-headed Flying Foxes while also foster-caring kangaroo joeys.

Danced with the Early Dance Consort for 20 years, and got to dance in the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall with the music of the Brandenburg Orchestra.

Married a wonderful man and had 2 gorgeous children.

Wrote and illustrated a children's book on endangered species.

Anne, age 50

(Anne's list is in chronological order.)

Erika

2011-11-25T10:49:00.000-08:00

Learned to wind surf in the English Channel.

Left my fiance, even though part of me still belongs to him.

Had pinup photos of myself taken (and they are hot.)

Have posed naked for artists, and seen their drawings of me exhibited in galleries.

Packed everything I owned into a 14 foot U-Haul, drove 8 hours by myself to a place I'd never been before, to follow my dream of getting my MFA.

Erika, age 25

Alex

2011-11-25T10:46:00.000-08:00

Committed to a dog.

Fell in love. Then out. And then fell again. And then out.

Left 100 teacups on a city street.

Stood in Tienanmen Square when I was 20 and realized how small I was.

Stayed optimistic.

Alex, age 28

Michelle

2011-11-25T10:43:00.000-08:00

I heard the angels speak to me on a bridge in Venice.

I have encountered spirits both good and bad.

I have known moments of pure joy.

I survived a childhood of domestic violence.

I have learned to listen to God's voice.

Michelle, age 49

Meg

2011-11-23T09:25:00.000-08:00

Laid a loving kiss on my dead mother's cool cheek.

Ate a sashimi slice of my firstborn's placenta.

Avoided detention by men with machine guns at the then newly non-communist Uzbekistan airport.

Rode in a monster truck.

After a lifetime of wanting to, wrote a book, and then another one!

Meg, age 45

Tom

2011-11-23T09:16:00.000-08:00

Calculated all the cars' number plates on my walk to school.

Got arrested at student protests on both sides of the Tasman Sea (and for being "illegally on a building site".)

Cycled 1,400 kilometers from a small town called Moron to a smaller town, also called Moron.

Shook David Hasselhoff''s hand.

Moved in with my girlfriend.

Tom, age 32

Zane

2011-11-23T09:12:00.000-08:00

Sired two beautiful children.

Stood in the same room with Nelson Mandela, and wept when the Internationale played.

Built back line speaker cabinets for John "the Ox" Entwistle.

Crossed the equator many (too many to count) times.

Caught the bus to work this morning.

Zane

Jennifer

2011-11-23T09:10:00.000-08:00

I was a NYC bike messenger for 5 years.

I worked as a dog walker in NYC.

I went a little crazy.

I fell in love, several times.

I had my heart broken.

Jennifer, age 39

Alan

2011-11-23T09:07:00.000-08:00

Tried to kill myself.

Faked it till I made it out of psych hospital.

Tried to kill myself again.

Woke up and realized everything had changed.

Understood that death is nothing to gain.

Alan, age 28

Chioma

2011-11-23T09:02:00.000-08:00

Climbed the Eiffel Tower.

Built a school in Tanzania for charity.

Sang in my friend's funeral.

Spent more than 60 pounds on body products all in one transaction.

On Valentine's Day, gave a rose to my tutor who I refer to as the grandfather/guardian I've never had.

Chioma, age 21

Noelle

2011-11-22T13:55:00.000-08:00

Got married to afford art school.

Saw my dad die in a trailer full of relatives I never met.

Threw a tiara at a cashier.

Took naughty photos in high school for art class and got suspended.

Had a baby.

Noelle, age 26

Lucie

2011-11-22T08:30:00.000-08:00

Have wished my sister didn't have a disability.

Ran a marathon.

Traveled around the world with a backpack full of books I couldn't bear to leave behind.

Seen a loved one dying.

Felt I could never love again.

Lucie, age 24

Debra

2011-11-22T08:26:00.000-08:00

Fell in love with someone who taught me to live for each day.
Followed the sun to California.
Traveled to the Amazon rain-forest at age 12 and basked in the glory of the wilderness.
Learned I have the potential to be successful at everything I do.
Cried a lot of tears, ate a lot of donuts, cooked a lot of meals for people I love.

Debra B, age 29

Steve

2011-11-21T13:27:00.000-08:00

Lived with an Aboriginal tribe in outback Australia.

Paddled a dugout canoe down the Sepik River in Papua new Guinea with a cannibal guide.

Rode a motorcycle across India.

Opened a collective Art studio on New Zealand.

Built a wooden house on the back of a 1948 truck and toured the West coast with it (still on the road and still touring.)

Steve

Sherri

2011-11-20T14:38:00.000-08:00

Worked in Yosemite as my first job away from home.

Followed the Grateful Dead on tour across the US.

Was an Avionics Technician in the Navy.

Lived in a Tipi.

Sold lots of my paintings.

Sherri, age 42

Laura Jean

2011-11-18T17:57:00.000-08:00

I broke my neck and 17 teeth, all at once.

I drove my car 130 mph.

I left home at age 18 with $500 and didn't look back.

I drove a 1967 Volvo from Montana to Massachusetts.

I herded 1,000 goats in the mountains.

Laura Jean, age 27

Stephanie

2011-11-17T16:19:00.000-08:00

Entered a morgue on a dare in Puebla, Mexico claiming to know someone who died and "needing" to ID their body.

Swam with urethra fish in the Ecuadorian Amazon.

Broke my back.

Traveled alone to Cali, Columbia at age 25.

Gone into countless homes of unknown people as a teen parent social worker.

Stephanie, age 32

Todd

2011-11-17T07:01:00.000-08:00

Found life after a crushing divorce.

Accepted responsibility for two other people's 'mistake'.

Said goodbye to both parents by the age of 23 (I'm the oldest of 4 siblings).

Nearly died at the age of 15 from appendicitis due to which I now have no bellybutton.

Served time in jail for ticking off a judge.

Todd, age irrelevant

Eileen

2011-11-17T06:58:00.000-08:00

Sang a solo on TV at age 7.

Walked halfway across a frozen river.

Received a Ph.D. from Harvard.

Adopted my son in Bogota, my daughter in Pacific NW.

Wrote and published book of drawings and poems.

Eileen, age 66

Mels

2011-11-17T06:56:00.000-08:00

Laughed in the ocean.

Ate many fancy cupcakes.

Broke a few hearts.

Felt lonely.

Laid in the delicious sunshine.

Mels, age 24

Brandon

2011-11-16T13:50:00.000-08:00

Learned to fly a plane.

Jumped out of a plane.

Passed out face down in the shadow of death.

Found God.

Found a wife.

Brandon, age 28

Thea

2011-11-16T05:49:00.000-08:00

I saw the Northern Lights.

I jumped out of a plane.

My daughter and I watched the sunset from the Ice Hotel.

I ran away to sail from Turkey to the Greek Isles.

I saw my girls riding their horses on the beach.

Thea, age forty something

Meghan

2011-11-15T17:26:00.000-08:00

I made cheese for a living.

I healed my back after a herniated disc...mostly.

I survived a break-in and sexual assault.

I lived on an island for two years.

I wrote and published a book.

Meghan, age 30

Susan

2011-11-14T15:08:00.000-08:00

I had 5 children, one adopted.

Was a foster parent for 4 years.

I am an artist-painter, potter, and play with glass.

I finished a two-year degree.

I built many walls in my house.

Susan, age 48

Ulrich

2011-11-14T15:05:00.000-08:00

Ordained as Shingon Japanese Buddhist Priest.

Published 15 books on Philosophy.

Sold my paintings for more the US $1 million.

Ordained Orthodox Christian Priest.

Became a religious hermit monk.

Ulrich

Victor

2011-11-11T09:23:00.000-08:00

Became a film maker.

Became an actor.

Became an artist.

Became a journalist.

Became a seeker of truth.

Victor, age 65

Marianne

2011-11-11T09:18:00.000-08:00

I've won a medal at Carnegie Hall for my art.

I gave my coat to a homeless person yesterday.

I fearlessly make conversations to strangers on the bus.

I've gone to rehab and the people I met there changed my life.

I believe I fall in love with everyone I meet even for a second.

Marianne, age 19

Ana Karina

2011-11-08T13:33:00.000-08:00

Interned at the Smithsonian.

Slept in the Milan airport alone, twice.

Danced on a rooftop.

Drove alone form Austin to Miami for myself.

Spent all my savings.

Ana Karina, age 24

Peaty

2011-11-06T15:29:00.000-08:00

Walked France alone from A. Ocean to M. Sea.

Wrote 55 books of journals keeping my mind free.

Raised rabbits, chickens, vegetables, bees.

Slept in 168 countries, states and territories.

Artfully passed 4 brushes with death.

Peaty, age 62

Allie

2011-11-06T15:23:00.000-08:00

Learned to say yes.

Went into art school as a graphic design major (for my parents,) but came out with a BFA in Photography (for myself) - ironic, because who the hell goes to art school for their parents?

Learned to forgive, only after maliciously and irreversibly removing a number of people from my life.

Tried hard drugs.

On a whim, and at a time when I really needed money, I took a non-paying job that continues to change my life (and I continue to need money.)

Allie, age 22

Olea

2011-11-05T12:03:00.000-07:00

Lived in a cemetery.

Sailed on a tall ship.

Created and published a suburban newspaper.

Wrote poetry.

Survived cancer.

Olea

Layne

2011-11-05T11:57:00.000-07:00

Lived at over 45 addresses since birth, but I am not a traveller/gypsy/tinker/pikie.

Had my Gallbladder removed at 20.

Co-led the 2011 occupation against cuts to arts funding and the rise in tuition fees at Bath Spa Uni, England.

My art blog got over 11,000 hits in one day for the post about my 'Self Portrait with Menstral Blood' artwork.

In 2003 I went insane for a while, I woke up this year.

Layne, age 28

Venus

2011-11-04T17:17:00.000-07:00

Wrote a story about a red balloon.

Wrote a story about a dot.

Had a miscarriage and gave birth on the exact date two years apart.

Unintentionally hurt my sister and watched my family slowly fall apart.

Healing from depression daily, sometimes hour by hour.

Venus, age 40

Kiam

2011-11-04T10:52:00.000-07:00

Served 7 years in the US Navy.

Bathed and cleaned and took care of patients with cancer.

Helped deliver premature babies in Haiti.

Surfed dozens of couches in Europe and Central America.

Realized my need to live life as an artist.

Kiam, age 27