Bucket List

It seems the fashionable thing to do these days is to create a well thought out bucket list. At my age, there is almost a sense of urgency as we are reminded that it is never too late to “live a little.”  “Grab life with gusto.”

So I guess it is time to put together that ultimate bucket list and let the games begin. I’ve studied a few lists and here are some items often found on the things-to-do-before-I-slip-on-the-final-banana-peel inventory:

1)     Swim with dolphins

2)     Trek up you-name-it mountain

3)     Have lunch in Paris

4)     Go sky-diving

I can already sense the wry grins on the faces of my closest relatives. They will be all too happy to point out that there is not a single item on the aforementioned list that might be a personal goal of mine. I am the ultimate worrier. Fret is my middle name and I conjure up danger where none ever existed.

Case in point. I have yet to pass a swimming class. My final attempt (in college, no less) ended with the swimming instructor telling me that I should probably look into therapy instead of another swimming class. It seems I’m afraid of water and multiple exposures have not deadened my sense of fear, ergo, there will be no swimming with dolphins.

Mountains are another formidable obstacle for me. I would prefer not to have a Sherpa haul my oxygen tanks to the top of a Nepalian peak, waiting for me to plant a flag or something. I’m not too crazy about mountains below the tree line, either. You may see idyllic mountain trails, I see precipices with sheer drop-offs. Hence, there will be no trekking adventures.

What could one possibly fear from a lunch in Paris? Well, here’s the deal. I’m not a fan of air travel. Just the thought of a physics equation gone bad while I’m in the air is enough to make me hesitant to climb aboard a large metal tube destined for turbulence. I’m best off eating a little escargot on this side of the pond.

Do I even need to address sky-diving?

So, do I forgo a bucket list due to my ever increasing phobic issues? Or are there less daunting alternatives? Being rather high on the dull-o-meter, here goes.

1)     Get a passport—I think the process alone will be enough excitement for me. And who knows, I might want to go somewhere, like, maybe Canada.

2)     Attend a Prairie Home Companion show at the Fitzgerald Theater in St. Paul, MN. It’s climate controlled and relatively bug-free.

3)     Score a long word with the letters Q and Z on the red triple score corner of Scrabble. The letter X is heart-poundingly acceptable, as well.

All this pondering has me thinking about how my grandmother might have responded if I asked her what was on her bucket list. I’m pretty sure that she would have chuckled a little and replied in her slightly Dutchy accent, “A little oats, a little corn or maybe just a bucket of milk for our supper.” That was grabbing life with gusto for my grandma. Each day was about survival and practicality.

I wonder if we sometimes spend too much time focusing on what we are missing out on, rather than what is blessing us each day. Is it possible that obsessing on climbing the mountains of adventure makes us less tolerant of the speed bumps of daily living? Maybe it’s okay to simply finish an honest day’s work and do good unto others. I’m quite sure our bucket would be a little less empty if we found delight in the daily.

As for me, I must admit that I am quite content to punctuate my days with a hot cup of tea, a sharp pencil geared up for the daily crossword puzzle and my husband snoring away in the easy chair next to me.