Thoughts on "bucket list" concept . .

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just some musings here; join in if you care.

—this is kind of a “consumerist” thing. One consumes experiences as well as products.

—says a ton about inexpensive travel

–says a lot about the innate insularity of a people who have largely been raised in bland suburbs, who have a small spectrum of life experiences

–does say something about some growing maturity; realizing that they’ve missed out on things.

–something pathetic about using someone else’s list to create your own.

—in a previous generation, everybody wanted to Write a Book.

—ULTIMATELY, this seems very much like a Desperate Cry for Personal Meaning in one’s life. Work hasn’t proven finally fulfilling, etc. Perhaps the possibility of happiness via a family has been frustrated. (Here, I think the Catholic Church has a FANTASTIC opportunity; in a secular society, there’s no shared values or social goals. . . we kind of have agreed to publicly say that Personal Earnings are a final measure of one’s worth, although inside we know better. . . and of course the great good of Christianity is something that should be presented to people.
 
I haven’t seen the movie, yet, but it seemed to be about someone who knew he was going to die and wanted to do a few things before he left. I just saw a clip, and seems one of the things was to jump out of a plane.

I guess that seemed sort of superficial to me, shallow, that thinking jumping out of a plane would give a person more of a sense of purpose, but that was just me.

Really, if we thought we had little time, it’d probably best spent getting ourselves right with God and each other.
 
Well, obviously, someone had to be the first to publicize the BL idea itself. Whether that first instance was the film or not, I’ve no idea, but I doubt it.

Everybody else will in a sense be copycatting the BL idea.

If travel were not relatively inexpensive, there would be fewer BL entries involving travel; or maybe scaled down (intracontinental rather than overseas; etc.). But the concept would still play out.

Really , the BL is just the extension of the Make A Wish concept. The difference is that adults have the means to do things themselves and are not immediately facing death, so have potentially more time.

I don’t think it is at all pitiful to use someone else’s idea. At least it gets folks used to the idea of not being immortal. Maybe along the way, they will be inspired to do some penance and gain some holiness.

ICXC NIKA.
 
Captain_America said:
just some musings here; join in if you care.

—this is kind of a “consumerist” thing. One consumes experiences as well as products.

It’s not necessarily “consumerist”, which seems kind of negative (like “having the most toys” = “having done the most stuff”).

There are things I would like to do before I die, places I would like to go, people I would like to meet. This is a wonderful world the Lord created for us: why would we not want to experience different things while we can?

I’d like to visit the Holy Land before I die, and walk in the footsteps of our Lord. Is that consumerist? Are pilgrimages consumerist? (Not being sarcastic or snippy, I’m really asking, WRT your original premise).

—says a ton about inexpensive travel

Or expensive. Any trip abroad usually requires a connection to Toronto.

–says a lot about the innate insularity of a people who have largely been raised in bland suburbs, who have a small spectrum of life experiences

It’s not just the cookie-cutter denizens of Pleasant Valley (thank you, Monkees!) who have bucket lists. I’ve spent 20 years in the Reserves, I’ve been to Germany, I was a press escort for the Papal Visit, I met the Governor General, I met the guy who used to do the voice for Spider-Man back in the 60s, I went to my first rock concert at age 11… but there are still things I would like to do.

–does say something about some growing maturity; realizing that they’ve missed out on things.

^^^This.^^^

–something pathetic about using someone else’s list to create your own.

:confused:

—in a previous generation, everybody wanted to Write a Book.

Yes, the Great American Novel. That is slightly different than the bucket list: a lot of the list as you pointed out is experiential, but the Book, or the One-Hit Wonder, or the Star, or otherwise fifteen minutes of fame: taht someone who wanted to make their mark, to be remembered for something. THat may be a case of someone wanting to consume “fame”. Personally, I would be content if people remembered me kindly, and I left the world in a better place than I found it.

—ULTIMATELY, this seems very much like a Desperate Cry for Personal Meaning in one’s life. Work hasn’t proven finally fulfilling, etc. Perhaps the possibility of happiness via a family has been frustrated. (Here, I think the Catholic Church has a FANTASTIC opportunity; in a secular society, there’s no shared values or social goals. . . we kind of have agreed to publicly say that Personal Earnings are a final measure of one’s worth, although inside we know better. . . and of course the great good of Christianity is something that should be presented to people.

This I understand. I have a job, not a career. I don’t fit the classical mold of Having Made Something Of Myself (this Title Case business is contagious): I flunked out of post-secondary school, I’m not really qualified to do much, I’m not a doctor or a lawyer or a business owner. Work can be fulfilling, but a lot of time that fulfillment has to come from within. You have to find your own meaning sometimes. I find joy in helping people straighten out their pensions, explaining their medical benefits, etc: the fact that most of my callers are happier at the end of the call than at the beginning means a lot to me.
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Maybe it is a good philosophy to “plan like you’ll live forever, live like you’ll die tomorrow.” Maybe then one wouldn’t have time for a bucket list.
 
I wouldn’t think that the gathering of experiences is per se consumerist.

You don’t just buy most experiences, as you do physical objects. Even in a travel context, you buy the services needed for the experience (getting your soma from A to B; laying it down at night; etc.). The experience itself is done by mind and body.

Furthermore, unlike physical possessions (which we to an extent need, but are left behind for others), one could argue that we are humanly alive in part to have experiences. And unlike the physical possessions, if our mind does survive death, we can hope that our experiences will accompany us to eternity.

ICXC NIKA.
 
My history professor told the class that “bucket list” comes from to “kick the bucket” which was originally a reference to suicide, as in the things someone wants to do before they commit suicide by “kicking the bucket” from underneath and hanging themselves. He said that most people who use the “bucket list” expression are unaware of this.
 
livingwordunity said:
My history professor told the class that “bucket list” comes from to “kick the bucket” which was originally a reference to suicide, as in the things someone wants to do before they commit suicide by “kicking the bucket” from underneath and hanging themselves. He said that most people who use the “bucket list” expression are unaware of this.
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Correct.

Kicking the bucket was originally done from under one’s feet with one’s head in the noose, ie, suicide.

But by the 1900s, it simply meant “to die.”

I doubt very many suicides have a list of things to achieve before doing themselves in.

ICXC NIKA
 
I think people spend a lot of their time setting goals and working towards them. Goals involving family, involving work, involving finances, involving spiritual development, involving personal development, etc. Some people, whether by choice or circumstance, don’t have much time to focus on things other than these items. Whereas I’ve been fortunate enough that my wife and I try to plan a 7-10 day trip out of the country every year other, others may not be so, or may not prioritize something like that. So what’s the solution? “Thrill” goals, which is ultimately what the bucket list is.

Honestly, I find some child-like virtue in it. Like when you were younger and saw something awesome (like a race car or spaceship launch or a sailboat in the horizon) - it fills you with wonder, and you imagine what it would be like to do that, even if only once. So, when you are older, and you are able to think about those things more, and able to afford for those things, why not let yourself fufill the wish you had when you were a kid?

Me personally, I have no desire for putting my life in danger, driving above 100 mph, eating something ridiculous, climbing a mountain, etc. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t things I’d like to do before I die. I’d like to go to the Holy Land and pray at the convent where my grandparents’ ashes are interred. I’d like to go to the world’s oldest brewery on its 1,000 anniversary. I’d like to do a lot of these things, and I don’t think it is because my life thus far has not been fulfilling - rather, I’d want to do these things because my life has been so fulfilling, this is my way of celebrating that.
 
A motivational website suggests that you make a list of the things that went well over the past year and the things that did not go so well, so that you can take stock of where you are and better plan your goals for next year.

So I made my list, and guess what?

I noticed that my accomplishments were possible because God gave me the talent and opportunity for them, so God gets the glory.

The parts of my life that did not go so well … were either based on inherent weaknesses or were my fault and felt like an examination of conscience.

So now I can better see the Lord’s Will for my life as far as which talents to work on, as well as which types of sin to be especially wary of and avoid. There’s room for improvement in both departments.

Meanwhile, one item on my bucket list that I accomplished this year? I successfully performed stand-up comedy as an actress, live and on stage in front of an audience for the first time in my life. It was actually as part of a Masquerade at a Star Trek convention where you get three minutes on stage to dress in costume and either simply walk across the stage or perform a skit. So I dressed up as one of Gilda Radner’s characters from Saturday Night Live, namely, Miss Emily Litella, and portrayed the character with material I’d written for the occasion. Long story short, I received requests to return as Roseanne Roseannadanna …

~~ the phoenix
 
Mumbles140 said:
I think people spend a lot of their time setting goals and working towards them. Goals involving family, involving work, involving finances, involving spiritual development, involving personal development, etc. Some people, whether by choice or circumstance, don’t have much time to focus on things other than these items. Whereas I’ve been fortunate enough that my wife and I try to plan a 7-10 day trip out of the country every year other, others may not be so, or may not prioritize something like that. So what’s the solution? “Thrill” goals, which is ultimately what the bucket list is.

Honestly, I find some child-like virtue in it. Like when you were younger and saw something awesome (like a race car or spaceship launch or a sailboat in the horizon) - it fills you with wonder, and you imagine what it would be like to do that, even if only once. So, when you are older, and you are able to think about those things more, and able to afford for those things, why not let yourself fufill the wish you had when you were a kid?

Me personally, I have no desire for putting my life in danger, driving above 100 mph, eating something ridiculous, climbing a mountain, etc. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t things I’d like to do before I die. I’d like to go to the Holy Land and pray at the convent where my grandparents’ ashes are interred. I’d like to go to the world’s oldest brewery on its 1,000 anniversary. I’d like to do a lot of these things, and I don’t think it is because my life thus far has not been fulfilling - rather, I’d want to do these things because my life has been so fulfilling, this is my way of celebrating that.
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This is pretty good. It does have a childish aspect to it, but not always in a bad way: I’m amazed at how many different things we human beings can do. But it does seem crass to just do something in order to cross it off a list. I suppose it serves also a motivational value.

And one CAN consume experiences just as he can consume products.
 
My bucket list:
1- Confession
2- Apostolic pardon
3- Say goodbye to the loved ones
👋
 
Captain_America said:
This is pretty good. It does have a childish aspect to it, but not always in a bad way: I’m amazed at how many different things we human beings can do. But it does seem crass to just do something in order to cross it off a list. I suppose it serves also a motivational value.

And one CAN consume experiences just as he can consume products.
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I don’t think you do things to cross them off the list. Rather, the list is to motivate us to do things we already wanted to do but were procrastinating.

Death isn’t really the issue; dead bodies cannot have or be burdened by regrets.

Rather, the purpose of the BL is to identify and realize achievable “dreams” before we become unable to do so, even if we can still breathe. Remember, even in the film, they were forced to give up on Mount Everest.

ICXC NIKA
 
I’ve seen the movie and it is such a good and funny one !!. Pairing Morgan Freeman & Jack Nicholson was an Awesome choice!! I ended up buying it to watch as I wanted.

Before I even watched the movie, I created my own list of things that I would like to do before I died. They are simple things. Only one is just about impossible unless if it’s in God’s Will.,

Mine are something like this:
  1. Go for a ride in my three most favorite automobiles. I don’t want to own them. I just want a ride in them. The three vehicles are: A Volkswagon bus (Hippie Van), P. T. Cruiser, and a Mini Cooper.
  2. I want to go to the Galleria Mall in Houston. I don’t want to purchase anything. I just want to go to look and to maybe try my luck at ice skating.
  3. Go to I. W. Marks jewelry store in Houston just to look.
  4. Go to Pennsylvania and visit & take in The Amish Country.
    And 5. The one that I consider Impossible is to meet the Australian Man to whom I’ve been chatting with for over 10 years now. I refer to him as my Aussie Dad.
Maybe Skydiving and bungee cord jumping too. But its all depending on if it’s in God’s Will. But not my will but God’s Will.
 
These are interesting, fun, out of the ordinary kinds of things.

I guess I have seen the “bucket list” concept used to mean “this is what I got out of life.” Or “this is my life’s impact.”
 
When I first heard of bucket listing, I thought it was kind of superficial, but since then I think it could serve a purpose.

The first priority of course should always be to keep one’s spiritual house in order. So the bucket list should never contain experiences that are immoral or beyond one’s means.

There could be a spiritual bucket list. :newidea: I thought of this recently - one of mine is to read the entire Bible.
 
As far as those who are inspired to travel
based on the “bucket list” concept,
here’s a quote:

“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.”

― St. Augustine of Hippo

…
 
the_phoenix said:
As far as those who are inspired to travel
based on the “bucket list” concept,
here’s a quote:

“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.”

― St. Augustine of Hippo

…
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Is that why my house is shaped like a semicolon?
 
Shouldn’t all christians bucket list be: get to heaven, begin God work for him in his presents; and those two items be repeated over and over.

It seems like a bucket list implies that youve lost sight of our purpose and the Church’s purpose if you list things you want to accomplish before life is over. If make to heaven, nothing else should matter.

I do think the idea is fun and thought provoking, but what is it really saying about our view pn the importance of this life.
 
Sean_Boyle said:
Shouldn’t all christians bucket list be: get to heaven, begin God work for him in his presents; and those two items be repeated over and over.

It seems like a bucket list implies that youve lost sight of our purpose and the Church’s purpose if you list things you want to accomplish before life is over. If make to heaven, nothing else should matter.

I do think the idea is fun and thought provoking, but what is it really saying about our view pn the importance of this life.
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I disagree. I think we can do all things for the glory of God, so as long as your bucket list is not materialistic or compromising of your beliefs, what’s the conflict? Before I ever thought about a bucket list, I was able to attend confession inside of St. Peter’s. Looking back, I’d say that’s something that’s pretty admirable. I’d also like to go to London and watch my favorite soccer team - I don’t see how that is removing myself from a focus on God so long as I’m not neglecting responsibilities to achieve that goal.

I think some people can go overboard with it, whether through immoral (or at least morally questionable) items or by foregoing other responsibilities to achieve an item at any cost. But I think having a reasonable bucket list is perfectly acceptable.
 
I made a “bucket list” years ago before it was called that. It was a short list and it was mainly things I wanted to do before I settled down/got married (HA!). Which is now even funnier now that the list I made is called a “bucket list” and typically a list of things to do before one dies. I wonder what that says about me. Anyhoo…

I can only remember one thing (with certainty) from the list and that was Outward Bound and I did that. I can settle down/get married…any time now…:whistle: (j/k ;))
 
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