BUCKET LISTS

I never gave much thought to "bucket lists." Of course I saw the movie with Jack Nicholson and it did give me some food for thought. But long before the movie came out I had a "Twenty things I must do before I die" list. Over the years I kept modifying it because some things just weren't worth doing or my perspective has changed or they were accomplished.

Here are some of the items on that list that have lost their immediate importance. It means that while they are now off the list, I will still try to accomplish it. 1. Meet a US President, 2.Visit Australia, 3. Improve my Hebrew reading, 4.Teach a college class (already did that, but would like to do it again).

I just gave my son a bucket list book that contained 162 things to do revolving around baseball. This book is solely focused on that which is baseball -  that is not a bad thing - but it does not account for other accomplishment unless they are part of the task. I did 63 of the 162 leaving 99 to accomplish. However, if you reduce that list by what interests me - maybe just about 60 are left. No one list fits all. But, as I said, I have had a "twenty things to do" list for about 20 years. Here are some of the items in that list. The items in italics above need to be done, the items in regular type have been accomplished - and by the way, there is nothing wrong with doing it more than once but give yourself only one credit.

Here goes: 1. Doven at the wailing wall in Jerusalem, 2. Tour Italy, Spain, Germany and France. 3. Visit a concentration camp, 4. Spend a day with a grandchild, 5. Have a suit custom made, 6. Fall in love again, 7. Re-marry, 8. Kiss someone in public passionately, 9. See a great Broadway play on Broadway, 10. Lend money to some one without expectation of payback. 11.See a grandchild become b'nai mitzvah,12. Feed a hungry family.

Here is the great thing about living - once you've done them, you still need to have a populated list of 20. I have 12 down, Also, replace those items that are no longer as interesting. So, here are more items that made the list and I have done them:  1. Fly in a hot air balloon over some exotic location (did that in Luxor Egypt), 2. Land on top of a glacier (did that in Alaska). 3. Swim in the Dead Sea, 4. Climb a Pyramid, 5. See the Sphinx.

You might ask, what is left to do? See Fenway Park, Wrigley Field - done that, too. Leave a dollar where a kid who needs it will find it. Visit Australia. Make a very sick kid smile and their families feel good for a day or more. That is why Make A Wish is so important to me.

Everyone needs to make a Bucket List no matter how old or young you are. It is a dynamic list, ever evolving, ever changing. Some are self centered and some are very altruistic - they must all contribute to your sense of being alive I have been lucky enough to have done so much more than I ever expected to do in my lifetime. What that has done is led to a longer list of things still undone.

Make your Bucket List(s). Let me know how it is going and the unusual things you have done or are wanting to do. I really think that you will find it revealing!

Have a great list!