Evidence that even though the kids at school see her as an ancient ruin, there are still things Fran hasn't done

A Facebook status from poet friend Martin Hodges (thanks, Martin!) inspired this posting.  It's a poem written as the result of a poetry exercise I did somewhere, in some place, at some point, with someone. It may have been the result of a session on memory or reminiscence but I don't remember that either. Errrr - what did I come upstairs for?

Martin was saying there are many things he likes the idea of doing, such as climbing Kilamanjaro.  I'm the same.


List 

(I also fancied borrowing an idea from Piaf and calling this Je Regret Loads, but it's not really a comedy poem.)

I have never worn a ball-gown which sparkled under chandeliers
or eaten grilled sardines while watching a Mediterranean sunset.
Nor have I dived.

I have never climbed a snowy slope while attached to a rope and friend
or danced the quick-step, the tango, the waltz or the rumba.
Nor have I read ‘Gigi’.

I have never climbed into the basket of an air balloon
or thrown blue-patterned, cracked china at a wall just for the hell of it.

Nor have I sipped oysters from shells,
nor drunk tequila with my head thrown back.

But once,
at least once,
I said I would do all of these things
some day.







What do you regret not having done?  Yet.  Leave a comment and tell me.  

PS  If one of the things you haven't done yet is to read 'Being Miss', my novella in which Miss's rollercoaster teaching day finds her in all kinds of trouble, it's free on Kindle for the next few days right here  You could take it up Kilamanjaro with you.


Comments

  1. Diana Studer28/7/14 14:51

    Can I count it if my husband went up Kilimanjaro before he met me. And my great-niece is going up in September. That's close enough, with me in between.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Fran Hill29/7/14 00:00

      It's close. It's close. But it's not going to get you out of breath, now, is it, Diana?....

      Delete
  2. Anonymous28/7/14 16:09

    I've done a few things, see http://fishducky.blogspot.com/2013/12/i-hope-i-had-good-time.html. I still would like to see Mt. Rushmore!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Fran Hill29/7/14 00:04

      I kneel at your feet in awe. How have you fitted all that in? Are you 182?

      Delete
  3. Janie Junebug28/7/14 17:35

    I've never dined at The White House, seated next to President Obama. George W. Bush invited me, but I declined.

    Love,
    Janie

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Fran Hill29/7/14 00:05

      Is this true? Is this true? Did he really?

      Delete
    2. Janie Junebug29/7/14 12:41

      No. Since when do I tell the truth?

      Delete
    3. Fran Hill29/7/14 12:43

      I just didn't like to risk offending you by saying, 'Yeah, right.' But now you've said. 'Yeah, right.'

      Delete
    4. Janie Junebug30/7/14 20:07

      You are very polite.

      Delete
  4. stephen Hayes28/7/14 18:55

    Once I visited a swimming facility in Turkey that was created from a flooded ruin of an ancient Greek temple. It was beastly hot, the water looked incredible and you could see the ruins just beneath the surface. I should have jumped in. How often do you get to swim through an ancient temple?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Fran Hill29/7/14 00:07

      Wow. I once taught at quite a posh school and one of the students said she'd swum with dolphins over the summer. I said, 'Well! I'm impressed! I mean, many of us have had the chance to do something like that?' All but three of the class put their hands up.

      Delete
  5. Steve28/7/14 22:55

    Travelling around America in a camper van. That's something my best mate and I talked of doing in our "gap" year. By "gap" year I mean that year when we planned to earn enough money to undertake the jaunt and then go to Uni and take the trip afterwards. What we actually did was get sucked into full time employment, have kids and sell our souls to the man.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Fran Hill29/7/14 00:08

      Steve, have you read John Steinbeck's 'Travels with Charley'? If not, you must. Immediately.

      Delete
  6. Janelle28/7/14 23:38

    Fran! What a delight to find you today! and guess what, I actually AM having a good day. And guess what too? I can see Kilimanjaro from my house on the hill...(http://ngorobobhillhouse.blogspot.com).I have never climbed it (husband did while i went to the coast instead which, I can assure you, was a MUCH better decision.) but I flew right over the top of it and around and around it...look here...http://ngorobobhillhouse.blogspot.com/2009/09/flyin-high.html just in case you never actually make it up yourself...SO HAPPY to have found your site. also a teacher here in tanzania...English Literature...and feel horribly inadequate. LOVED your interview with your planner too! heh he. love and salaams. x janelle

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Fran Hill29/7/14 00:19

      Janelle! I have just read some of your postings on your blog. Surely your writing has been published somewhere? Oh. My. Word. Thanks so much for your comment. How do your students concentrate if you can see Kilimanjaro from the classroom? If mine see a FLY on the window, their minds are off elsewhere ....

      Delete
    2. Janelle29/7/14 00:29

      FRAN! how brilliant of you to stop by...felt a little guilty pasting my bloody blog all over your comments section, in a sort of desperate attempt to net more readers...that wasn't my intention but how LOVELY you came here! THANK YOU! and sadly no...never published...when i started this...2009 (my writing is blushingly BAD) i did it in the hope to be discovered and become an over night millionaire like JK Rowlings...but here i am still. unpublished. blogging intermittently and still teaching...sigh. oh well. things could be LOT worse. actually, they can't see the mountain from my english classroom...and they all get to climb it in year 11...much to some of their chagrin. love and thanks x janelle

      Delete
    3. Fran Hill29/7/14 00:56

      Hey, email me. See tabs at top of blog. I like talking to other English teachers who want to be millionaires.

      Delete
  7. River28/7/14 23:46

    Rats!
    amazon.uk is only for uk customers.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Fran Hill29/7/14 00:21

      Arrgh. Sorry! Normally, it's for sale everywhere, so maybe that's just for the free promotion. Thanks for trying.

      Delete
    2. River30/7/14 02:48

      It's okay, I thought maybe Amazon.com (USA) would have it too and they did, so I downloaded it to my computer. I'll read it over the weekend.

      Delete
    3. Fran Hill30/7/14 07:49

      Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay! Let me know what you think, or even better write me a quick review on Amazon. Thanks for downloading!

      Delete
  8. BadPenny29/7/14 06:54

    Think I ought to go up Kilimanjaro ... I have seen the Pyramids ( big disappointment )

    Got what I wanted; husband, kids, dog, cats, cottage with a view. Happy. Still think I ought to go up Kilimanjaro though !

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Fran Hill29/7/14 12:44

      I saw the pyramids when I was 14 and only interested in boys, not ancient monuments. Now I'm an ancient monument myself, I wouldn't mind going back and giving them another go.

      Delete
  9. Anonymous29/7/14 07:58

    Fran, your poem is brilliant. And made me cry. That is all.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Fran Hill29/7/14 12:44

      That's very kind. I'm glad it touched you.

      Delete
  10. SmitoniusAndSonata29/7/14 12:42

    An excellent list and there's still masses of time to do it all .
    I've done the sardine thing and "danced" the tango ( at least , I think it was a tango ) but am not rushing to climb a mountain or eat oysters so might skip those . Really , I've done lots of great things so don't have loads of regrets .
    No , what I really want to do now is start at the beginning and do everything ( apart from riding that camel ) all over again ...... with brio .

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Fran Hill29/7/14 12:49

      Ha ha! The sudden camel reference made me laugh!

      Delete
  11. Frances Garrood29/7/14 14:01

    I would love to snorkel in deep water where there are lots of brightly coloured fish (I've only ever seen greyish ones). Oh - and meet Desmond Tutu and write that elusive best-seller. While I'm at it, I'd like to travel first class VIP (no waiting, Lots of alcohol) whererever I go. And, and, and...

    But I have NO desire to eat oysters. Why would anyone want to swallow a live, slippery creature that just tasted (presumably) of salt?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Fran Hill30/7/14 07:50

      Now, first class travelling - yes, that appeals to me. I've only done it once, on a train, and when the lady came with a tray of tea and shortbread I tried to give her some money, but it was free. I marked myself out as lower caste good and proper there.

      Delete
  12. wide eyed1/8/14 04:07

    I have never folded a fitted sheet. Or backed a trailer. Or made a quilt. But, I don't intend to.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Fran Hill1/8/14 04:21

      And quite right too. I love your decisiveness.

      Delete
  13. Pam 2/8/14 13:54

    I have never done anything exciting but on the other hand don't really crave excitement. But I do regret not having another child. Too late now.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Iota 23/8/14 10:19

    I've never seen the Northern Lights.

    But I am married to someone who has had tea with Desmond Tutu.

    Wonder if they cancel each other out, in some kind of cosmic balance sheet.

    ReplyDelete

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