Have you ever played that game "Never Have I Ever" with your friends, where everyone goes around and names something they haven't done and those who have participated in the event take a drink (typically from an adult beverage)? I've always wondered who's the real winner in that game: the person who has had the most experiences, or the person who hasn't. Seeing as I am always the latter, I've tended to feel it wasn't me.
Over the past few months, I've realized how frequently I find myself saying, "I've never..." whenever someone is discussing some experience of theirs. It can be something as simple as "I've never been to Brooklyn" (which was true up until October), or something more along the lines of "I've never seen marijuana in real life" (which was also true up until last week). In general, there seems to be a lot I've yet to do.
This year, instead of having a traditional New Year's resolution, I plan to have an "I Never..." list: a list of things I have never done but would like to explore in 2016. It's almost like the opposite of trying to keep a resolution, as you want to break the truth value of all of these statements.
My list is as follows:
1: I've never gotten a tattoo (Henna or otherwise).
2: I've never seen The Royal Tenenbaums.
3: I've never been to a concert at Madison Square Garden.
4: I've never spent New Year's out of town (this I'm actually completing when I ring in 2016, but still).
5: I've never been kissed in the same way Drew Barrymore describes having never been kissed in Never Been Kissed.
6: I've never taken a ballroom dancing class (and based on my coordination, this may not be the best idea).
7: I've never tried a cronut.
8: I've never been to Central Park after a snowstorm.
9: I've never smoked anything.
10: I've never gone to an NFL game.
11: I've never been camping.
12: I've never voted in an election (but 2016 is the perfect opportunity).
13: I've never had a Netflix subscription.
14: I've never seen any episodes of Seinfeld.
15: I've never visited a beach on the West Coast.
16: I've never been to a service at a synagogue.
17: I've never really understood Snapchat.
18: I've never learned how to knit.
19: I've never tried Indian food.
20: I've never owned a pair of high heels (probably because I can't walk in them...).
And finally, 21: I've never been very good at sticking to these ideas at the beginning of a new year.
These are the things I hope to be able to say I've done by this time next year. Let's see if I can render the last one false in 2016! When you're pondering your resolution, maybe try thinking about what you haven't done over the years. Perhaps it'll inspire you to try new things!
