This is not a bucket list. These are just a handful of things that haven’t happened for me yet, and perhaps some things I will never get around to. Never say never, though.

Never been on a cruise ship #

When I was nineteen or twenty I read the David Foster Wallace essay, later republished as A Supposedly Fun Thing I Will Never Do Again. My grandparents were not cruise ship people, my parents were not cruise ship people, and I am not a cruise ship person. I know I’d be one of the constantly seasick ones. The idea of having to eat at an assigned dinner table with the same random strangers for a whole week turns me off. I like spontaneous fun, not organized fun. Any time I think I do entertain the idea, I Google 'cruise ship disasters' for good reminders to keep my feet on dry land.

Never been to a Disney Park #

Along the same lines, my parents were not Disney People. At least, I think a Disney vacation was out of their price range when my sister and I were kids. I can name all the other theme parks (Great Escape, Six Flags, Canada’s Wonderland, Enchanted Forest/Water Safari) in upstate New York and Canada we visited during our summer vacations. I have heard that visiting a Disney Park is the ultimate designed experience, though, so maybe I should plan to go as an adult. You know, for UX research purposes.

Never been to Florida (since airports don’t count) #

Continuing a theme from the previous list item, I have never visited the sunshine state. My wife has though, as a resident at Florida State’s Facitlity for Arts Research a few years ago. I would love to see Miami, so this is one list item I might cross off in my lifetime. At the same time, I have familiarized myself with the Florida Man meme. Residing in Tennessee, I might be as geographically close to Florida and the Florida Men as I’m comfortable with.

Never used Uber or Lyft #

I’m not a fan of these kind of companies and their labor practices. Again, there are horror stories, but my primary concern has always been that your rideshare driver might not be carrying the right kind of insurance coverage before you get in their car. I have an airport taxi service I use in Knoxville, and it’s OK, and probably comes out to a similar price. At the same time I have stayed at Airbnbs a couple times, so you can call me a huge hypocrite.

Never invested in cryptocurrencies #

And I probably won’t. I’m a somewhat technical guy, and the blockchain technology just doesn’t interest me. Nor do the economics make sense to me. I do watch from the sidelines though, reading Molly White’s blog web3 is going just great. I’ll stick with my get rich slow scheme (graphic design).

Never read a Malcolm Gladwell book #

This one seems kind of braggy, or at best trivial. I remember Malcolm Gladwell being all the rage ten or twelve years ago, and I still have not picked up one of his bestselling nonfiction books. I don’t have anything personally against the man, but I’m familiar with the criticism of his work. I got burned by a similar writer, Jonah Lehrer, who probably committed worse crimes against popular nonfiction than Gladwell.

Never bought a television #

I grew up with a Commodore 64 in my bedroom, using an 11-inch television for a monitor. This meant I grew up with a television in my bedroom. It gave me an appreciation for 1990s pop culture and probably helped me relate to my peers. In college and beyond I always relied on my roommates to supply the TV. I had a microwave oven and a vacuum cleaner. When I started living on my own, I never prioritized having a television. Today I have a laptop and access to a couple streaming services, so I do watch TV. There are times when I think it would be nice to watch something on a larger screen, but I’m also glad our living room is not dominated by one. Maybe someday we’ll invest in a projector.