The bucket list

July 7th, 2010 - Who hasn't heard of creating a 'bucket list'? You know gathering and putting on paper all those items you would like to do before you...um...kick the bucket. The first thing about creating the 'list' is to decide when is the time to create it. I mean you don't want to tempt fate by creating it too soon. Can you just hear the talk, "oh, he died so young, he had just created his bucket list". But once you get over that fear and decide to create it, you are faced with what I was faced with, What do I put on it.

Now, I have seen some bucket lists and find they range from the very bold and fearless types of entries like: visit Africa and shoot a lion, jump out of an airplane...solo (plain nuts), or go white water rafting without a raft in early spring, when there is still ice in the water. There are also some middle of the road bucket lists, but still shooting high like: visit all of Europe, take dancing lessons and enter a contest, or run a half marathon. And then there are my items. Let's just say they are not bold, brave or even expensive. In fact, most of the items are quite simple. For example, just once when my boss asks me to do something I would like to say, "no, I really don't feel like it. Can you ask someone else". Or I would like to write a letter to Uncle Sam and say, "guess what, I did the research and no, you are not my uncle. You are not my cousin, you are not even in my family. So quit asking me for money, you already have enough, and don't bother me anymore". After all, it's true. I would like to have the nerve to take the tag off of my mattress. You know the one that says do not remove under penalty of the law. I mean, who would really know. My kids make fun of me because I won't remove it. They ask me if I think the mattress police will come and arest me? Who knows, I am afraid to remove it, maybe they would come. I would also like to be walking down a supermarket aisle and start singing and dancing and have everyone join in with me in perfect harmony, and with the exact same footwork. And while doing so be discovered by a talent agent, who wants me to star in the remake of 'grease'. Also on my list is to go into a store, see something I like, and buy it...without looking at the price. I also want to be able to go to bed at night and leave a dish in the sink and not feel compelled to get up and wash it. And a real biggie on my list is to not clean the house and let it go for over a week.

I thought the items on my 'bucket list' would be profound. Things that would make people see who the essence of Marion really is. And what I found out is that my 'bucket list' is exactly that. It is MY 'bucket list' and it does empower me and does make me feel bold and rebellous all at the same time, and it does make a statement about who the essence of Marion really is...