What does this tell about me? That I like to keep records? Those are just the lists that are available online for others to see. Heck, there are other spreadsheets that I am not making public. For example, I have a spreadsheet that keeps track of the types of cheese that I have sampled. I started it because it occurred to me that there's just too many types of cheese that are available here in Berlin, that it would be great if I sampled them all, one by one. And I wouldn't even dare to tell you what other lists I have.
Why do I do this? Is it because I don't want to forget? Is it because I am a geek, a nerd, a dork? Is it because I distrust the capacity of my hippocampus, that I'd rather have them in writing so that I can visit them later, with as much accuracy as I can possibly have?
I suppose since time immemorial, people have created and recreated lists. People, after all, are interested in ontologies, in limits, in sets. People want to know the highest mountain, the deepest trench, all these extremes, and these become bragging rights. Such a mundane and nerdy list becomes the focal point of some people's lives. Ever heard of the World's Seven Summits? It's the set of the highest mountains in the seven continents in the world. There are people out there who aim to climb all of them.
I suppose I am just so aware of the fact that the world is a happening place. Plenty of things occur, plenty of events happen, and I want to document them as much as I can, at least, those that occur around me. I document the books I read, the cheese I eat, the countries I visit, and so on. It is quite interesting to note, that the fact that humans have a finite lifespan makes documenting it much more important. Imagine if you're immortal, so you can take all the time you want and check off things as fast or as slow as you want. After all, you have all the time in the world. In fact, I think that you would even lose motivation to explore and check things off your list. After all, what would you do if you have experienced them all and you're still alive? You'd be bored out of your mind.
