Naeem's Blog

Another meme tag is going around (I’ll get to your tag Baraka) and it got me thinking: where do these meme tags begin?

I’ve never actually followed back the links to the originator of the meme tag. I’m guessing they're probably scientifically created in some sort of mysterious CIA-sponsored meme super-lab, designed to distract the blogosphere whenever their conspiracy chatter gets too close to the truth or could it be some great Wizard of Blog, hiding behind a curtain, crafting new and ingenious ways to waste people’s time?

Anyways, I’ve decided to create my very own meme tag.

That’s right folks, you are witnessing the creation of an actual meme tag! Its like being present at the birth of a newborn baby. What, is that too overdramatic? Fine, let me tone my comparison down a bit – your presence at the commencement of this meme tag is akin to standing at the beginning of a rainbow. Still too much? Ok, ok, it’s probably closer to the feeling of absolute relief as you witness a car accident unfold in your rear view mirror, thanking your Lord that you weren’t directly involved in that horrible disaster.

Suit yourself. I still prefer the rainbow comparison.

I decided to call it the Reese's Puffs To-Do List meme tag. Inspired by what I considered a mostly useless list of ‘18 things to do before turning 18’ found on the back of a Reese's Puffs cereal box (reproduced below for your very own reading pleasure), I created my own counter list of 18 morally responsible things to do. Asking people to create 18 items is too much, so I’ll scale it down to a more feasible 6.

In case you’re new to the meme tag game, here are the basic rules:

1. Post these rules before presenting your list.
2. List 6 actions or achievements you think every person should accomplish before turning 18.
3. There are no conditions on what can be included on the list.*
4. At the end of your blog, choose 6 people to get tagged and list their names.
5. People who are tagged write their own blog entry with their 6 suggestions.
6. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged.
7. Optional: You can include the image of the ridiculous Reese's Puffs list in your post as a reference.

* The list can be totally serious or outright hilarious like Dave’s comment on my original post: “19. If Arab, Desi, black, or another distrusted population in the US, don a Kufi and walk into heritage foundation's headquarters, look around, and loudly say "Where da white women at?" like in Blazing Saddles. If I wasn't white, I would totally do that.”

Seeing that I'm the originator of this meme tag (and that I’m simply cutting and pasting from my old entry), I will present 18 things:

1. Memorize the Quran.
2. Go camping and sleep under the stars.
3. Organize a festival at your local masjid.
4. Compete with your friends to recite the entire Quran during the month of Ramadan. First one gets a box of Reese’s Puffs.
5. Do Itikaaf in your local masjid.
6. With a group of your friends, visit a sick person.
7. Spend an extended period of time with your grandparents.
8. Perform Umrah/Hajj and break bread with as many strangers as possible.
9. Massage your mothers feet.
10. Say La-illah-il-Allah 1000 times in one sitting.
11. Pray Salat Tasbih
12. Volunteer as a mentor for a local youth club.
13. Pray Fajr in the desert.
14. Help a total stranger unload their grocery cart into their car.
15. Sacrifice a sheep with your own hands.
16. Plant a tree.
17. Get married.
18. Maintain your Islamic identity – yes!!

And since this is the first in the chain of this meme tag, I’ll pollinate its seeds by tagging more than 6 lucky bloggers. Consider yourselves part of blogging history. :-)

Baraka, Saifuddin, Suroor, Unique Muslimah , MrEspy , Amal, Dave, Aaminah, Suhaa, and IzzyMo

BTW, I was about to tag you Amy, but then I remembered you had already provided an amazing list in the comments of my original post:

- Study something (anything!) with someone who is very old. (80+) Will teach appreciation for life's lessons and respect for the elderly and their wisdom.
- Prepare a body for burial. Will instill awareness of mortality.
- Make an item of clothing for yourself to wear (i.e., pants, shoes, shirt, etc.) Will foster a respect for the clothes we wear (that we tend to just buy at the store..)
- Help construct a house or masjid (without being paid.)
- Watch the sun rise and set over the ocean--the vastness of the sky and sea are awe-inspiring.
- Spend the longest day of the year (June 21) fasting and the longest night of the year (December 21) in prayer.
- Babysit--to know that children are not a light responsibility.