Movies are made about it, people tell each other about it and even school children have them. Bucket Lists: all the things you want to do before you die. So what does yours look like?
Is it filled with big plans like “learn a language”, “learn how to play piano” or “write a novel”? or small things like “spring clean”, “take a yoga class” or “join my PTA”?
Probably your list should be filled with big things and little things. Some to do tomorrow and some to do next year…..however, since none of us know how much longer we have to get these things accomplished, most should be something that we can get on right away.
The fun thing about Bucket Lists is that they are yours only. They don’t involve anyone else normally because you only have control over yourself, not others. So you can’t have “get my son to do his homework”. That’s not a proper list member.
It is possible to have others included if you don’t have to count on them doing something. A good one many people have is something like “Visit my Grandmother in Germany”. All your Grandmother has to do is show up and so that is a valid Bucket List member.
Could you ever guess a Bucket List has so many rules? Actually, you can even make up more rules for your very own bucket list. Could be that everything has to get done by a certain date or you put the items in priority, so you do first things first. Or you can just doodle out any old thing that comes to mind.
The importance of a Bucket List is that you now own a list of your dreams in concrete form. When you get bored or tired or depressed, you can take out your Bucket List and enjoy thinking how you are going to get an item checked off. It’s also best to do this while you are still capable of actually getting it done. That’s why I’m traveling to exotic foreign countries now while I can still propel myself under my own power. Not asking to be pushed across the Himalayas in a wheel chair. So, see you have to be reasonable with your list.
So where did this all come from? Most obvious is from Kicking the Bucket, as in dying. The term is first seen in a 1993 Labor Relations Board report stating that since they didn’t get their whole agenda taken care of the remaining items would be put in a Bucket List. Of course the 2007 movie with Jack Nicholson made the term even more popular. It has now shown up numerous times in TV and movies since then.
So get on with it…..Start your very own Bucket List of all the things to want to do or have before you “kick the bucket”. Don’t worry, no one is even going to see it unless you want them to. It’s fun besides to dream…….
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