Let’s Talk with James M Jackson
Bucket Lists
By James M Jackson
I’ve mentioned before that I am a person who keeps lists. Lots of lists. One of them is a bucket list. In case you are not familiar with the term, it means a list of things you want to do or experience before you die (or “kick the bucket”).
My bucket list has changed over the years. Some things have come off because I completed them. My trip to Alaska in 2008 completed my objective to visit all 50 states. And in 2014 when we visited Newfoundland/Labrador, I finished off my Canadian providences list. (I still hope to visit all the Canadian territories, and that remains on my bucket list.)
I consider my list as a way to remind me of some of my inspirational goals, but I don’t allow it to exert pressure on me. (You’re past Social Security eligibility age and you still haven’t done that? Shame, Jim!) Over the years, I removed some items from the list because they are no longer possible to do, at least in the way first intended. I had to scratch “Hike the Appalachian Trail” when my shoulders deteriorated to the point it was too painful to carry a heavy pack for a full day, let alone three months.
I’ve flown in a hot air balloon and helicopter, but still want to fly in a glider plane during hawk migration. I’ve been to the Arctic, but not to Antarctica—that is about to be rectified.
We’ve booked passage on a birding tour that will take us to the Falkland Islands, South Georgia Island, and the Antarctica peninsula. We leave at the end of January and will be gone for three-plus weeks. I can’t wait to experience the remote habitats, see birds I have only visited in zoos, and experience—well, who knows exactly what I’ll experience? That’s why I’m going.
What’s on your bucket list and what do you hope to scratch off this year?
Posted in Let's Talk, with James M. Jackson, zed: Former Authors • Tags: BLB Discussion, Bucket Lists, James M. Jackson, Let's Talk | 12 Comments
Sounds great, Jim! I still want to see the Aurora, maybe saw it once, on a cloudy day, so that doesn’t count and I can’t be sure that’s what it was.
Depending on how adjusted your eyes are to the dark, the aurora often looks like shimmering white clouds rather than the green sheets a camera sees.
I never had a bucket list until the Hubster decided we would hike up Raspberry Mountain since our yoga teacher was on her honeymoon and there were no classes. It was supposed to be an easy hike. Not by my definition. But I started a list just so I could cross that one off. My next item is a trip to the Galapagos. Our son is putting together a photography tour there in 2019, and I’m ready!
Yes — photographing in the Galapagos will be fantastic.
You’re very adventurous. I just want to finish all my book projects before I die. I’ve done a lot of traveling so don’t have a burning desire to go far, and I like my comfortable amenities these days. One thing on my bucket list? Welcome a grandchild to the family. Our daughter just got engaged so it’s possible I’ll make this one.
Ha, Nancy — does that mean you are planning on immortality since you’ll have “just one more book”? or are you planning on retiring from writing at some point.
I’m not sure the normal rules of bucket lists include waiting for someone else to do something, but when it comes to grandchildren, there probably are no rulles!
My immediate goals are to finish revising my backlist titles, to publish a second edition of Writing the Cozy Mystery, and to complete the next Bad Hair Day story. Then I’ll reevaluate where I’d like to go next. I want to work less hard in the near future so I can enjoy those grandchildren when they arrive. Did I mention the novella I want to write next?
Maybe bucket lists are there to remind us that there are times to remove our noses from the grindstone — grandchildren can do that for us.
I love making lists. I get great satisfaction scratching off a list item too. I’m mostly an armchair traveler, but I look forward to reading about your upcoming trip. And just so you know, most of my buckets are for holding water during hurricane season. I don’t mind purchasing drinking water, but I’d just a soon pre-draw flushing water for the inevitable power outage during those big storms. Also, 5 gallon buckets are great but they hold more water than I can carry, if anyone wants to know. Perfect size Maggie-bucket is my mop bucket…
You make me smile, Maggie. Up north before we built the house with solar, we had no power and all of our water came from the lake (which I then sterilized for drinking. I used 2.5 gallon buckets for that. The kids and later grandkids always loved to watch me swing a bucket in a circle and not have the water fall out (as I had been amazed when my father showed me). Good memory, that.
Making a bucket list is the first step, I suppose. Even more crucial as so many wonders of our world are vanishing right before our eyes. But the Aurora will be at the top of that list.
My daughter and son-in-law took that trip to Antarctica in November 1995 returning in December, just before Christmas. My SIL is a professional wildlife photographer and some of the photos he has from their trip are amazing. Your itinerary sounds very similar to the trip they took. I know you will enjoy your trip immensely…posting pictures is a must!