A few weeks ago, I followed a friend into an art supply store. I found him picking out tubes of
water-color paint, which   1   me because he's not an artist "I
        2   up for a water-color class, and it starts next week," he said."I really don't have   3   for it,
but it was on my list of 50 things to do before I die, so I   4   it. Every few months 1 look at the list
arid decide what to focus on next.   5   I had the list, I complained a lot about what I was   6   in my
life. Now 1 just bury myself in doing these things. Write your own list. and you'll   7   what I mean."
     So that night. I did just that, and he was right. The list revealed (显露出) a whole lot about what
was   8   to me. It also revealed how   9   behind I am at getting to the things I really want.
     I filled up the first twenty  10  quickly, but then began to think carefully.
     Eventually I  11 , items I've thought about for years, and   12   I've carried with me since I was
young. When I  13  he list later, some entries surprised me.
     First, I want to  14  much more, particularly now that my children are  15  arid can go with me-to
see the world. I would like to take them to bike through Denmark and camp in the Canadian Rockies.
     I'm also surprised to  16  some things on the list that need to be done soon. If I'm going to learn to
roller-blade (轮滑),  17 , I'd better start before I turn 50.
     Like my friend, I now have an alternative to  18 .When I'm bored with life, I take out my list.
     My friend told me the  19  was preparing the ground so that life could- work in mysterious ways."If
you want your ship to come in, you must build a dock (码头)," he said. Thanks to my  20 , I'm working
on some big docks.