Before I die, I want to ...

What do you want to do before you die?

What would you say if you were asked to complete the sentence: Before I die, I want to .

This is the statement two young American artists invited people to complete to encourage them to think about what is important.

Nicole Kenney, a fine art and documentary photography graduate, managed to pay homage to the Polaroid as the last stocks of films are being sold, while encouraging people to think about their goals and then achieve them. Those who agree to have their picture taken and write their goal at the bottom of their head-and-shoulders image also agree to be contacted in five to 20 years to check on the progress they have made towards achieving their goal.

Kenney has conducted her project mainly in the US and India. She is also inviting participants to her website to submit their own Polaroid pictures and finish their "before I die, I want to ." sentence.

Some of the responses she received from the US are: Before I die, I want to .

"Release a full-length CD of my music before I'm 60."

"Go skydiving."

"Live and work in a tropical location."

"Play drums at Radio City Music Hall."

"Write a novel and have it be published."

"Have a kid."

"Find true love."

"Spend the rest of my life with the love of my life and visit the seven wonders of the world."

"Change the way we teach kids."

From her project in India, the responses were:

"Want to study", a recurring response among those younger than 15.

"Own a shop", a dream for most adult males.

"Want to have a house."

"A job."

"Want to be a millionaire."

"Want to own a car."

"Do a foreign trip."

Some of the recorded responses from Continuum Hospice in New York, which provides care for the terminally ill, are: Before I die, I "don't want it to hurt too much", I want "that the things I've learned are passed on to the next generation", "I would like to be 20 years old again", "Relax" and "Sleep".

Another artist, Candy Chang, who is also a designer and urban planner, transformed the side of an old, abandoned house in New Orleans into a huge blackboard. Passers-by were invited to finish the sentence stencilled on the chalkboard. The sentence was also simply "Before I die, I want to ."

At the end of each day, the chalkboard is wiped clean, but not before responses are recorded.

Some of the responses are:

"Be a great mom."

"Tell my mother I love her."

"Find love."

"Have abandoned insecurities."

"Make Christian love me."

"Be a daddy."

"To be heard."

"Be at peace with myself."

"Follow my childhood dream."

"Get clean."

Jessica Silvester described the wall succinctly in the September 2011 edition of O magazine: "The wall becomes an enlightening way to understand your neighbours and discover what matters most to the people around you. It creates a public space for contemplation and reminds us why we want to be alive in the world today."

Inspired by these two women I wrote my own: "Before I die, I want to learn to swim."

It didn't end there. I sent the statement to 25 friends and family who make up my contacts on BlackBerry Messenger. I also asked a dozen or so other friends and colleagues by SMS or WhatsApp message to complete the sentence. For good measure, I posted a tweet on Twitter, for all 20 of my followers.

Unfortunately, my inquiry was not met with the same enthusiasm shown to Kenney's Polaroid project or Chang's wall.

Only three of my BBM friends thought the message deserved a response. And a handful of responses came by SMS and WhatsApp.

When a message came through that read, "Phumla, what are you going to do with our 'revelations' ", I realised many people took my message straight to the gutter. Or perhaps they got turned off by the fact that I asked them to include their name or age (which was not necessary since I know all of them, and can correctly guess their ages). Or maybe the people I know don't want to contemplate death.

But here are the few responses I received:

"See the Northern Lights - and meet Madonna."

"Have a child."

"Live."

"Mend relations, apologise for the hurt I have caused the people I love."

"Have my own family."

"Own a holiday house in Plett."

"Skydive."

What would you like to do before you die?

Send me an e-mail at tellus@ thetimes.co.za or drop me an SMS at 33971.

Perhaps this will remind you what is important to you - or to paraphrase Silvester, help me understand my readers and to discover what matters most to the people who read this column.