I am a sucker for lists.

It's not that I can't choose things for myself; I like plenty of things that many don't.  But put a "Best Of" list in front of me on a topic in which I have interest, compiled by supposed experts, and I will take that as gospel and I want to commit myself to experiencing every item contained in it.

Take, for instance, the American Film Institute.  I didn't even know it existed until its first 100 Years...100 Movies special in 1998.  I stumbled upon that broadcast about half-way through it.  I found their website and printed up the complete list, which I went through to see how many I had actually watch in their entirety.  I think I had sixteen! Out of 100!!  And I considered myself an actor at that time!  Now, I have seen several more since then, but I still haven't worked my way through the entire list.  They did another one ten years later.  I didn't do any better with that one.  And so you say, "So much for committing yourself to experiencing;" to which I am forced to shamefully respond, "Yeah, you're right."

I think about this particular list almost every turn of the calendar, telling myself that this will be the year I finally do it and watch what industry professionals have called the greatest films ever made.  I figure two per week will get me to 100 by the end of the year.  Here we are already one week in and I haven't touched it.

I have lists for movies, television, albums, plays, books, places to visit.  There is so much to experience, especially when I know they are supposed to be great.  Now that's not to say that I don't sometimes come up disappointed and let down by the knowledgeable insiders - I'll go into my opinions on Heart of Darkness and The Great Gatsby another time.  But for the most part, if hundreds and thousands of people across the world say a thing is great, there has to be something to collective opinion, especially if said opinion is coming from people who are supposed to know what they're talking about.  And so someday I will get around to watching The Godfather, binging all of M*A*S*H* and All in the Family, reading Moby Dick, seeing Hello Dolly!  If I don't, I'm afraid and saddened by what I'll be missing and leaving behind.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have another Pokemon to catch.