Boomer Bucket List

Have you ever made a bucket list? The concept is to make a list of things you want to do before you “kick the bucket” (die).

Most bucket lists seem to include crazy, once-in-a-lifetime activities that people keep putting off because daily life gets in the way. Skydiving seems to be on many lists; NOT on mine, by the way.

As we get past 50 years old, we can psychologically see the end. We’re at the 50-yard line and see the end zone. We see a light at the end of the tunnel (and hope it isn’t a train). Ok, no more analogies.

Time takes forever as a teen, but speeds along as an older boomer. We are running out of time to do those things we put off doing.

I’ve been very fortunate to have already done many things that might otherwise be on my bucket list. A partial list: see an Atlantic Ocean sunrise (many times), a Pacific Ocean sunset (once), swim in the Gulf of Mexico, photograph a moonrise, see the Grand Canyon, catch the view from the top of the Empire State Building and the Sears Tower, fly in a hot air balloon and a helicopter.

A career bucket list item from my youth was to host a nighttime music and entertainment radio show heard in many states. I did one better: hosted a show heard in 50 countries.

I’ve lived in many cities, owned several interesting cars, loved some unique women, held a variety of jobs, met many famous people.

Any time I think my life has been boring, I try to remember that despite my relatively calm, reserved personality, I’ve had a pretty exciting life, so far.

I truly believe there is more to come. There are things I still want to do, personally and professionally. I do have a bucket list. My challenge is overcoming some complacency - ok, more accurately, some laziness.

One of my favorite movie lines is: “get busy living or get busy dying.”  Maybe that should be my mantra for this year. Yours too, if you think along these lines.

Some random items on my latest bucket list:  learn Italian, visit Italy, revisit the Grand Canyon, host a tv show, publish a book, interview an astronaut, witness a rocket launch, take a cross-country train trip, meet Garth Brooks and tell him how his music helped change my career, marry again but get it right this time, take a month-long cross-country road trip, turn this blog into a podcast.

Every one of those things is challenging yet possible. I could probably dream a lot bigger but I don’t have to. It’s my list.

What’s on yours?

That’s all for today. Time to get busy!