We all have heard or sometimes talk about getting to do something that’s a “once in a lifetime” (OIAL) experience. Some folks refer to these kind of things as “bucket list” items, although I prefer the term “life list.”
While there are some things that might be OIAL experiences for you, they might be everyday experiences for others. Getting to meet a favorite ballplayer or stand at home plate at Yankee Stadium might be your OIAL experience – but for someone on the training staff or grounds crew, it’s a job. Times change as well. To our grandparents, getting on a plane and going across country or to Europe or Asia might be a OIAL experience. To us, it’s just another vacation or business trip.
What got me thinking about this was a picture that popped up on a screen saver that loops through favorite photos. I got to wondering, where’s the proper middle ground for something that you consider special, exciting, a OIAL experience on the one hand, and something routine on the other? In other words, if a “life list” item is really great, why do you only do it once?
This isn’t to say that you have to do it daily or annually or whatever. But more than once would be good if it was really fun and exciting, right?
We need a name for “really cool, unique, rare, unusual, but more than ONCE in a lifetime, I really need to go do that again!” experiences. “RCURUBMTOIALIRNTGDTA!” doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue, I’ll have to work on that.
Meanwhile, the picture that inspired this train of thought?
March, 2010. Temecula, CA. Hot air ballooning. So much fun, so exciting.
RCURUBMTOIALIRNTGDTA!
We Love The Stars Too Fondly 
I thought you might mention the eclipse. Mine, in Svalbard definitely counts as a once in a lifetime… but I’m just a tiny bit keen on getting to NE Spain for the 25 (or is it 26) one.
Hot air balloon – yes that was great. Am I keen to do it again? I wouldn’t mind, but I wouldn’t go out of my way for it 🙂
BTW I see ‘carumba’ in that acronym of yours. Maybe a Carumba moment is what we want 🙂
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You’re absolutely right, the solar eclipse would qualify for most folks as a truly once in a lifetime event since they’re rare, the timing is beyond our control, the weather has to be right, and so on. I will get to see my second next year, I hope you get to Spain for your second!
I like the CARUMBA suggestion as well. I’ll have to go back and read what I wrote – I’m surprised in retrospect that it was coherent. It’s been a very, very long several weeks.
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