A good movie has memorable scenes.

Like a lover’s quarrel from the roof of a high-rise or a robbery planned in the junkyard. Scenes like this become the salt and pepper for stories.

That’s what Donald Miller describes in his book A Million Miles In A Thousand Years.

His message is simple:

Memorable scenes belong in real life, not just the movies.

But what does that mean? How do you really live life in memorable scenes?

My absolute favorite part of the book describes a family he visits. Their version of “showing someone to the door” is running, fully clothed and jumping into the lake.

Bursting to the surface, they shout and wave. That is goodbye. Reading it, I thought: That is a good goodbye.

It’s memorable.

I want to live my life like that, too.

To me, if you can’t take risks like jumping into a lake for your friends, what kind of risks can you take?

I made a quick decision: This year will be lived in memorable scenes.

Not just for the sake of scenes, but because quitting my day job is just one step in my journey to write my own life. And the step-mom in suburbia routine could use a memorable scene or two.

Ready for the list?

Jump in:

Go swimming in Lake Superior. This is a tradition for some (never me, until this year) at the end of our vacation in the Land of Do As You Please.

Splash and play in the rain without an umbrella. Not the best follow-up to cliff diving, but something I haven’t done in a really long time.

Write from the top of my childhood roof. This was a favorite place for solitude growing up.

Visit the graves of family members I wasn’t able to meet. For starters, Mr. Right’s grandfathers. I’d like to write something while I’m there.

Go on a completely unplanned family vacation. (Wait, does this mean I’m planning it?)

Take the kids to a Wisconsin corn roast.

Visit the winery in my tiny hometown.

No rest until I go down every slide on our annual WI Dells trip. (I usually don’t. I’m not known to be a “slide girl.”)

What are the memorable scenes from your life? Take a second and leave a scene or two below … I could use some ideas.

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Photo by Mait Jüriado