What didn't you do this weekend?

I did not climb down into a dam and kiss a rotting fish, unfortunately. I honestly regret that I missed out. Not because I think smelling the stench of a rotting fish would be particularly enjoyable, but because it is an experience I would like to have had.

Photo credit: blog,travelpod.com

 
However, people never ask "What didn't you do this weekend?" It's not interesting to respond:

• I didn't go on a treasure hike with twenty-one people.
• I didn't split a log with an ax (...shout-out to some patient friends for helping make that one happen safely).
• I didn't swim in very cold water.
• I didn't choreograph a dance sequence on the porch.

You don't look back and fondly remember the time that:

• Nobody threw a ping-pong ball at the ceiling fan and double-bounced it.
• Nobody ate a piece of charcoal that was previously a hamburger roll.
  
• Nobody found out what was in that hard-to-reach cabinet.
• Nobody participated in a group cheer.

Photo credit: Morgan Elizabeth

Experiences like these, whether they end up being enjoyable or not, are what compose our lives. Some experiences are pleasant, exhilarating, or enjoyable, while others are disgusting, uncomfortable, or silly, but they are all memorable experiences so we might as well do them and enjoy them. Next time the opportunity arises, I will smell the dam fish.

This weekend's camping trip was a success because the crew was willing to try anything. These are people that make everything fun and fully embrace the fact that you only live once.