Day 158: Making A Bucket List

I’m getting to that age where making a bucket list makes sense. I think there’s merit to creating a list of things that sound enticing and would fulfill your soul. What’s the harm, after all? Even if you never check off even one item, hasn’t just creating the list given you a certain amount of joy by pondering and imaging the possibilities and experiences?

I’ve never created a bucket list proper, but I do have boxes of items stored away in the back of my cavernous mind filled with various things that I want to do. I also have boxes filled with things I’ve wanted to do, tried, failed to do, but would like to try again. Waterskiing is such a thing. I’ve tried several times, gotten up for a few seconds, and crashed with nasty glory. I’m not sure why I can’t do it. I’m fairly athletic. I can snow ski. I can rollerblade and roller skate. I can chew gum and walk at the same time. But I can’t waterski, and it kind of pisses me off. But I digress.

I’m not sure if there are any unwritten or written rules to creating a bucket list. I’m guessing there aren’t. But I think there should be. You shouldn’t be able to add just any item, for example. Only the big stuff should qualify; stuff that’s hard to obtain or pull off and that takes some doing. Take walking on your hands, for instance. No way that belongs on a bucket list. Now, walking across the state you live in or across the country, that does. So, by that qualification, the first item I’m putting on my bucket list is “Walk The Entire Appalachian Trail.” It’s not an insurmountable goal, and I don’t think I should even have to do it all at once, but it’s not something that I can just wake up tomorrow and pull off, either.

I also think that a bucket list item should hold some special meaning to the person making the list. Painting a picture of your house, for example, isn’t worthy. Painting a picture of the house you just built with your own hands does. So, based on that, the second list I’m adding to my bucket list is “Build My Own Guitar.” Given the tools and the knowhow, I think that’s something that I can do and it’s something that would mean a great deal to me because A.) I can play guitar, and B.) being able to play guitar helps maintain my sanity. Playing a guitar that I made, therefore, would be extra special and just maybe even extra soothing.

Now, this may cause a bit of controversy, but I don’t believe a bucket list item has to be something you do alone. Take skydiving, for example. It’s possible you’ve always wanted to leap out of a plane. It’s also possible your spouse has always desired to throw herself into the blueness, as well. I don’t see a reason why you can’t add this item to your own list but do with someone else. So, to that end, the third item on my list is “Become a Peace Corps Volunteer When I Retire.” If anyone plans on retiring at roughly the same time as me and also wants to do the Peace Corps a solid, I’d be grateful for the company.

I’m sure there are all kinds of other rules I could apply where bucket lists are concerned, but I don’t want to make the thing too complicated. My bucket list rules would leave a little wiggle room so as to allow for creativity and built-in forgiveness. Like, say you’ve always wanted to swim with sharks but would prefer to do it while in a cage. I’m OK with that. If you’ve always wanted to have a boxing match with a real boxer but don’t want to get hit in the face, I’m OK with only body shots. If you’ve always wanted to sail the Atlantic but didn’t necessarily want to captain the ship, eh, that’s a borderline call, but I’d give it a pass.