10. Music: If you ever heard me play the flute, you would know I was not destined to be a musician. In ninth grade I had to make the choice between the student newspaper and the band. Clearly, I was destined to be a writer, not a musician. Failing at music helped make clear my career path.

9. Driving: I have had more accidents than I care to remember. I never learned to parallel park and I’ve had a few speeding tickets. I’m not sure what that shows except it reminds me to be more careful and alert when I’m behind the wheel.

8. Relationships: You have to kiss a few frogs before you get to the prince.

7. Skiing: I went on one ski trip in seventh grade. I couldn’t even make it down the bunny hill. To be honest, I’m a little afraid of the ski lift. I think, What if I don’t hop on in time? Winter sports and I do not mix.

6. Organized sports: The only organized sport I ever tried was cross country in sixth grade. I quit halfway through the season. I do love to run, I’m just not one for group activities. I do wish I had tried harder because I actually like exercising, and I imagine I would have liked playing on a team.

5. Maintaining a consistent exercise routine and healthy eating habits: For me, it’s easier to exercise than to eat right. I’m working on it, but I’ve got a long way to go.

4. Becoming a published book author: It takes tenacity to get published. I know I’m not alone in being rejected. It’s easy to give up, but I’m not accustomed to taking the easy way out.

3. Housework: It’s certainly not my forte. What I’ve learned is it’s helpful to make up a schedule and then stick to it: clean the bathroom on Tuesdays, vacuum the living room on Wednesdays, etc. When you break the work into chunks, it doesn’t seem so overwhelming.

2. Friendships: Times change and so do circumstances. Ten years from now you and your current close friends may have little in common. I struggle with maintaining relationships. I’ve learned to try harder to hold on to those I consider important to me.

1. Social media: When I was working on my undergraduate degree here in the late 1990s, there were no blogs and no social media. I didn’t need to feel bad because I forgot to check my Facebook messages for a month. No one could accuse me of ignoring them because I didn’t return said messages right away. It was all I could do to work 20-plus hours at the Northern Star and carry a full courseload. Now, of course, people expect you to have some kind of Facebook, Twitter or Instagram account. The fact that I am not on social media every day is not necessarily a bad thing. It’s a great way to keep in touch with others, but it can also be a huge waste of time.