[Heineken]

Fame is famously fleeting; decline, death, and decay await us all. And with them, the fade to black of being totally forgotten. (Yes, incredible as it may seem, even the Bush-Monster will one day be totally forgotten.)

Still, with that preamble past, it'd be fascinating to know what some of my fellow POers consider to be their greatest accomplishments---the successes that they believe have distinguished them in this brief life, and given them the right to what Albert Camus called a "happy death."

Don't be shy or modest. Let it all hang out. Beat your breast.

For myself, I would list (in no particular order):

1. Graduating from college summa cum laude.

2. Achieving advanced certification as an editor---ELS(D), or diplomate editor in the life sciences, awarded by the Board of Editors in the Life Sciences. Sort of like a PhD in scientific manuscript editing.

3. Becoming financially independent, and retiring, at the age of 50.

4. Writing a clutch of essays, stories, and poems that were published and received modest recognition.

5. Partly building my own house and developing a small farm, and eventually owning them free and clear. Gaining some "country" skills.

6. Enlightening myself about certain realities concerning energy, politics, the environment, and the economy that seem to mysteriously elude 95% of my fellow Americans.

7. Achieving a happy, trusting relationship with my companion of 10 years.

8. Learning how to walk on my hands (yes!), and maintaining a level of physical fitness more likely to be found in someone 20 years younger.

9. Completely overcoming reflex sympathetic dystrophy, a nerve disorder affecting my arms that made it almost impossible for me to do such basic things as tying my shoes and brushing my teeth for one long, agonizing year.

10. Oops---almost forgot---being kind to animals, and helping many of them. Rescuing homeless dogs, raising several of them, and doing animal shelter volunteer work. Managing my land to favor wildlife. Being 95% a vegetarian.

OK---that's it. Enough for one life.

[Aaron]

Raising my son solo

My 32 year love affair with playing music (flute, sax, clarinet, guitar, piano, voice, etc...)

Learning to walk... twice.

Escaping from corporate cubeland

Black Belt Judo | Green Belt Aikido

Volunteer efforts - too numerous to list

Learning to Waltz

Avoiding Death (might seem trite, but after 5 or 6 near misses it's the accomplishment all others are predicated on.)

Forgetting more books I have read than ones I can remember

Recreating my relationship with my dad

Certified Scuba Diver

Seasoned Sailor

Traction Kiting

Floral Design Expertise (I know I know)

Learning sign language

Losing my religion (most of you guys prob won't catch that one but WTH)

There's a bunch of corporate & social stuff that many might find more appropriate for this list... but I pretty much don't give a crap about any of that stuff anymore.

Two worth mentioning:

Prime Architect HP/Compaq global website integration strategy & implementation. (Now that was/is a nice piece of work)

Testifying as an expert witness for the prosecution in a semi-famous trial. (Don't ask... not tellin)

Good thread idea... I'd hate to post to the corollary opposite thread though...

[Narz]

Get back to me about this in a few years.

Really.

[Heineken]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Aaron', 'T')here's a bunch of corporate & social stuff that many might find more appropriate for this list... but I pretty much don't give a crap about any of that stuff anymore.

[Madpaddy]

I could tell you but then I'ld have to kill you.

No really. I believe that my main personal accomplishment are about to be achieved in the next 18-24 months.The stuff I've done up to now I don't regard as anything special.

I think that the fact I have 2 young boys who are so loving and affectionate reflects well on my wife and I. If you have children, raising them well must be your top priority.

I haven't wasted my time so far. I sail, parachute, have a pilots license, am a chartered engineer. Carried out lots of energy saving projects and new building projects where I work. I cook, do DIY etc.

Drinking 16 bottles of wine while on a week holiday to Bulgaria in 1993 must also rank up there with my crowning glories (NOT)

[cynicalheretic]

You guys make me feel so depressed. I have accomplished nothing, zero, zilch, nada. I am still working on my first degree.

I got one.

In 10th grade playing baseball for my highschool I hit a homerun with my left wrist. (I leaned in to far and smack) Busted my wrist, but I am 100% certain that I am the only person in history to accomplish that.

[PenultimateManStanding]

I finally, at long last, beat my older brother in ping pong. For me, that was a big deal.

[Heineken]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('cynicalheretic', 'Y')ou guys make me feel so depressed. I have accomplished nothing, zero, zilch, nada. I am still working on my first degree.

I got one.

In 10th grade playing baseball for my highschool I hit a homerun with my left wrist. (I leaned in to far and smack) Busted my wrist, but I am 100% certain that I am the only person in history to accomplish that.

[Heineken]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('PenultimateManStanding', 'I') finally, at long last, beat my older brother in ping pong. For me, that was a big deal.

[cynicalheretic]

i got one more that I just thought of.

A website I designed for a client about a year ago, won the macromedia site of the Month... I was quite proud of that.

[cynicalheretic]

What ever makes you happy kachina

[Aaron]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Raphael', 'I') won the PO 'wingnut' award.



All downhill from here.


namaste

Raphael

[Pablo2079]

Wow..... that's an interesting question.

Really hard to come up with a good answer while sitting in a cube farm.

All the certificates, corporate awards.... really don't mean anything when it comes down to it.

I'll give it some thought.

[UncoveringTruths]

Raising my kids.

Learning Photography and mastering it as a carreer.

Battling my Homeowners Association for three years and beating them in court.

[dinopello]

Keeping and staying close to many of the friends I've made throughout my life from childhood to the present.

[PrairieMule]

-Married 10 years this July
-2 daughters
-Got my business degree in 4 years instead of 5 despite 3 anguishing semesters to pass calculus
-At 16 I rappelled a 197' gorge named "Toilet Bowl" In Linville National Park in North Carolina
-Dragged two tired swimmers back to shore with my Kayak in Lake Lewisville 4 years ago
-I can backpack solo and not freak out being by myself-harder than you think
-re-discovering ranch life
-I was a Lacto-vegitarian for 2 years just to piss my dad off
-used humor to cheer up a few people along the way

[Free]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('cynicalheretic', 'Y')ou guys make me feel so depressed. I have accomplished nothing, zero, zilch, nada. I am still working on my first degree.

[eastbay]

An amazingly 12 years happily married.

Raising two great little girls.

Never paid anyone to complete my tax papers.

25 years without a drop of alcohol.

2 years as a vegetarian.

13 months and counting without swearing (try that!!).

Embraced Buddhism.

Numerous weight lifting records, however few still standing.

Rescued one little girl floating down the south fork of the Kings River back in 1974.

Managed to increase our family net worth in an amount greater than our take-home pay for the past 12 years due to lucky dart tosses.

House paid in full (oh yeah!).

Regarding work, there were many really nice accomplishments and major mistakes over my career, but to summarize: Arrested about 2,000 people without ever being sued, charged, or arrested. Not one adverse newspaper article either.

I mention this because it directs so many of our families recent decisions: Peak oil aware, doomer level increasing constantly.

[seahorse2]

losing my ego through exhaustion and realizing that all else is vanity