The Greatest Crime

Top 5 Regrets of the Dying

Based on this article, as a former hospice volunteer, I gotta say these are true... and worth reflecting on.

1. I wish I'd had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.
2. I wish I hadn't worked so hard.
3. I wish I'd had the courage to express my feelings.
4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.
5. I wish that I had let myself be happier.

I would summarize these as follows:

1. Authenticity and BALLS.
2. FUN!
3. Openness.
4. Friendship.
5. Allowing.

Excited? Not really, not yet...

Lot of people say how excited I must be.... when I tell them my gauge is stuck at zero, I get puzzled looks.
I'm not excited for several reasons. There is still lot of loose ends to tie up, not to mention I work til the 27th.

I will be excited when...
1. closing day passes well and the house sale is FINAL FINAL.
2. the plane takes off.
3. I feel that warm, humid air on my skin when I touchdown in Bangkok and smell the air. :)

Til then, it's same old same old for me.... October in Canada. How exciting is that?

Unseemly Sights

Lest I give the impression I praise Thailand indiscriminately, that is not the case. You see many unseemly sights... not the least being nasty old men with young women, paid company.
The body language in this photo pretty much says it all.

Photo credit: Stickmanbangkok.com

Thoughts on Overcoming My Own Greed

I have been getting rid of my stuff for about a year and a half. The punishment for hoarding material goods was having to get rid of them. Sometimes that was painful (think of your favorite toys). The situation is analogous to a dying person, leaving and having to let go of their 'stuff'.... except I have been doing this in my 30s. I am grateful for it, for it taught me that I need little, if anything, in terms of tangible material goods in order to be happy.

"...what a nightmare it was thinking I needed all those things for happiness..."

To be perfectly honest, while my attachment to 'stuff' has drastically decreased, I have not overcome my attachment to money... or more exactly to comforts it provides... but I am on the way. :)

Photo credit: "For He Had Great Possessions"

You Know You Are Getting Close When...

... you are 80% packed, and are weighing your luggage to see if you meet the airline requirements. :) 10 lbs. left in that suitcase... seems everything will fit just right. 25 tshirts, a few pairs of shorts and jeans, socks and underwear, some books, laptop. Ready to roll!

On another note, I am sick of wearing my uncomfortable dress shoes to work (whatever is left of it lol). Running shoes from now on! :)

Different Kinds of Birds