I was listening to the Ricky Gervais podcast and he, Stephen Merchant and Karl Pilkington were chatting about things, including death and such. And then I thought about how often I say, “I’m putting that on my list” – meaning, I refer to something that I want to explore/do/see/etc…

So, this led me to sit down and do my next blog on making a list of twenty-one things (I like odd numbers) that I absolutely must do before I pass on to the next level, whatever that may be. (And maybe, after reading this, you might want to write your own. You never know, writing it down may crystallize things so that when opportunities arise or become even remotely possible, you jump on them…)

1. drive a Ferrari, on a road I can do at least 100mph

2. spend a month in Italy, speaking the language fluently

3. have at least one feature film distributed in all the major cities (preferably worldwide, but I’d accept this, considering the business I chose…)

4. visit Liverpool

5. visit each continent, at least once

6. meet Jonathan Franzen

7. meet Francis Ford Coppola, not from chance but from purpose

8. work at a vineyard, at least for a day

9. visit the gravesites of Dostoevsky, Tolstoy and Victor Hugo

10. scuba dive

11. fall in love with someone who makes me laugh and continually surprises me, and I do that for them

12. read the Bible

13. climb a mountain

14. publish something

15. learn something new each and every day I’m conscious

16. ride in a hot air balloon

17. own a dog that looks like Toto, who I name Lenny (after John Lennon, of course)

18. kiss someone who makes me go weak in the knees

19. invent something I can patent

20. meet Kenneth Lonergan and tell him how much his film “you can count on me” changed my life

21. never settle