I hear people talk about “bucket lists”
all of the time. A “bucket list” is a
list of things that people want to do before they die . . . things to do before
one “kicks the bucket.” Never really
thought about it much . . . then I read an article about twelve things a person must do before he or she dies. I was flabbergasted at the list . . . explore
the Far East (by private jet, no less), eat a living thing, gamble more than
you can afford, float the Grand Canyon, sleep in a tropical rain forest, drive
a Ferrari (in Italy), see a sunset from Key West, record a record, climb an
active volcano, hug a tree, make front page news, make my children’s life list
my own, learn to sail, and many more. I
must be living in a different reality. These
“bucket list” items are out of my realm . . . at least most of them.
Explore the Far East in a private jet
. . . shoot, I haven’t explored the town I have lived in for nearly six years
yet. I haven’t seen even an iota of the
area of Montana I live in . . . not even in my car. If they mean “far east” as being Miles City .
. . well, I have that covered, though not in a private jet.
Eat a living thing . . . do a few bugs
flying into my mouth while walking, running, or driving with the windows open
in the car count? I like my food cooked
. . . not crawling on my plate.
Gamble more than I can afford . . .
isn’t that called life? If you are
living, the odds are you are probably gambling more than you can afford. That is the American Dream.
Float the Grand Canyon . . . I can’t
even float the bathtub!
Sleep in a tropical rain forest. I have lived in Panama for a couple of
months, been to Gaum . . . tropical life is not for me. Too humid, lots of lizards crawling around in
the house to kill the bugs. Besides, I
would just like to get a good night’s sleep in my own bed.
Drive a Ferrari in Italy . . . I would
be happy to drive one in Montana. The bigger
task is finding one.
A sunset in Key West . . . probably
couldn’t beat a sunset in Big Sky Country . . . especially when the sun is
setting behind a herd of bull elk in July.
Record a record. That one made me laugh. There are laws against noise pollution . . .
ask any member of a church I have served as a minister and they will tell you .
. .
Climb an active volcano. Well, I guess I am as close to doing that as
I can be without leaving home. Those of
us on the edges of the Yellowstone ecosystem know that we are basically living
on top of a huge volcano . . . a huge volcano that if it were to erupt would
send us all to the great beyond.
Hug a tree. I have probably hugged more than my fair
share of trees growing up . . . probably not for reasons I would want people to
know. Usually had something to do with
the “spirit” moving through me . . . liquid spirit that is.
Make front page news . . . not really
something that one wants to do as a minister.
Most the front page news I read usually has to do with things that none
of us would ever want anyone else to know.
Learn to sail . . . naw, I will stay
on dry land. I have no inkling to go
sailing or to learn to sail. Sounds
expensive . . . besides, I do not look good dress in white. I am more of a grayish sort of guy.
Making my children’s life list my
list. Yeah, get real. I want to live, not die.
I never really gave much thought about
things I wanted to do before I died. Oh
sure, there are a few dreams that I had.
I wanted to hike the Appalachian Trial.
The Appalachian Trail always fascinated me . . . the great outdoors
fascinated me . . . but, I live in Montana.
Montana’s beauty rivals that of the Appalachian Trail and I haven’t even
scratched the surface of what is around me.
But I would be lying if I did not admit that the Appalachian Trail still
hangs out in my rock garden. I’d love to
go to Ireland, but I am happy in any Irish pub no matter where it might
be. Always wanted to run the Boston
Marathon, but now I am satisfied if I can walk around the block. I never considered any of these things as
being a part of a “bucket list” that I needed to accomplished before I died . .
. probably because most of them would kill me in the first place. I have never really developed a “bucket list”
. . . and, if I used these suggestions in the article I read . . . well, my
bucket would probably have more than a few leaks!
As I have gotten older I have to admit
that there are things I think about that I hope I accomplish before I die. Not so much a “bucket list”, but a few things
I hope happen before I “kick the bucket”.
They are nothing spectacular, but important to me none the less.
I hope to see my grandchildren grow up
and start their own families. That is
probably my greatest desire . . . to grow with my grandchildren. Right now there is the one granddaughter . .
. coolest little person I know; but, she will soon be joined with a sister in a
couple of weeks. If this new grandchild
is half as cool as the first . . . well, I will be tickled to death. I cannot wait to meet the future
grandchildren . . . it just seems that some of my children need to get down to
business. But, I am a fairly patient
person . . . I can wait. I just want
them to know . . . the clock is ticking!
That is my greatest desire to accomplish before I die . . . that I have
the opportunity to love my grandchildren . . . and, that they love me.
Another thing that I think about
accomplishing before I die is to write a book.
Over the years I have been encouraged by others to write a book, but I
haven’t written one yet. Actually, I
have. After more than thirty years of
ministry with a weekly sermon . . . I have written a book. After more than thirty years of writing a
weekly newsletter column . . . I have written a book. After nearly three years of writing a blog
ten times a month . . . I have written a book.
Throw in there countless dapples
at short stories, letters to the editor, and just musings . . . I have written
a book. The problem is that I need just
need to sit down, organize all the stuff I have written, and make it into a
book. I could do it, but the problem I
have with that is that I would need to rewrite, rewrite, and rewrite again to
please some editor before it would ever get published. Sounds like a lot of work . . . so, in the
meantime, I contemplate the idea.
Hopefully I have a few more years!
Probably the last thing I want to do .
. . well, it is simple. I want to live .
. . I want to live for as long as I can.
Plain and simple. Both my parents
died younger than they should have and I want to live longer. Don’t we all?
I guess it is okay to have a “bucket
list” . . . a list of things we all hope to accomplish before we die; but, I
have never given it much thought. I
often think of how blessed I am to live the life I live. I have a wonderful family that I enjoy for
the most part . . . I live in a beautiful place that constantly gives me
opportunities to stand in awe at God’s magnificence tough . . . I have a wife
that loves me . . . a granddaughter that adores me . . . dogs that welcome me .
. . a computer that allows me to write . . . a church I enjoy serving . . .
and, each day an opportunity for blessing.
Taking care of that is more than fulfilling . . . so, who needs a “bucket
list”. It is in the moment that the
blessing is held. Why would I need more than
I already have?
