Bucket list...

[OS OK]

Remember the movie with Nicholson and Freeman, until then I didn't realize that you called it by that name. I've had aspirations of things I wanted to do since I was in elementary school, either money, the lack of it or the opportunity to do something seems to always preclude our pursuit.
What was on your bucket list?
When did you start your bucket list…at what age?
How have you done in trying to fulfill the list?
How long is the list now?
You don't have to limit your post to the above questions…elaborate as you wish.
For example…Who or what inspired you to add any specific item?

I'll post mine a little later as I will have to think about it some as my list was more like a 'barrel list'…I came from the bottom of the blue collar level of society and though I had what I needed in my childhood there were not too many extras. My buddies came from a strata somewhat loftier and they had opportunity to go to summer camp every summer and summer camp became one of the first items on my childhood list, though that one was never scratched off. In my adult life there is a different story…"Whats yours?"

OS OK

[MrWolf]

I actually helped my son with something he always wanted and thought it would be a good experience. For his 18th birthday we went skydiving. Someday I will think about what I would really want for a bucket list.

[wgr]

I actually helped my son with something he always wanted and thought it would be a good experience. For his 18th birthday we went skydiving. Someday I will think about what I would really want for a bucket list.

did the samething with my son. wish my old knees would still let me

[OS OK]

It was hang gliding that caught my imagination in 75, watched it for hours at a place called Big Country in SoCal, later watched at Torrey Pines near San Diego. Well that entry on the bucket list didn't have time for the ink to dry before I was doing something about it!. I got bitten by that bug and by the end of summer I too was flying, although it was a bit like coasting from a high place to a field below until I learned the art of thermaling. Tightly circling in a hot bubble of air trying not to fall out until you reach cloud base. That took about a year to master, one afternoon I reached 10,800' ASL from a cliff that gave a 3.000' head start, that was out near Lake Elsinore. That weekend there were bad fires in the mountains. I watched the Boray Bombers flying to and from the fires from that elevation all afternoon…they looked like matchbook toys below.
I could go on and on about hang gliding…it was just one of my bucket list items…"Gotter done!"

[starmac]

Jumping out of perfectly good airplanes or off a cliff with a kite has never been on my want to do list. lol
I suppose the only thing I ever really wanted to do that I didn't was to go live remote in the Alaska bush, too old and lazy to do that now. lol

[OS OK]

Remember your childhood starmac …were you not influenced by your friends or surroundings, something that you wanted to do but couldn't for some reason?
In my mind, that is where my bucket list really started.
Remember 'Sea Hunt' with Lloyd Bridges…I swore to the Angels above that I would do that when I grew up!…"Gotter done!"

Later, before I married, my girlfriend now my wife said the same thing about diving. I ask if she really meant it? She said, "Yes, of course, ever since I was a kid!"
I called my divemaster and set it all up for her…now…"She too, Gotter done!"

[C.F.Plinker]

I got to talking with one of the guys at the range last week. He had going to Camp Perry on his bucket list so he went back there the year he hit 70. He said he had so much fun at the matches he went back when he hit 75. Now that he is 80 he is going back again.

[dtknowles]

A space station in orbit around Earth, a permanent colony on the moon and a Human walking on Mars. Wish I could be an Astronaut and do all three. I only got to help with the Space Station but I might get to help with the others, I might be making parts for the next U.S. manned space flight we will have to see.

[starmac]

At one time I did have the desire to be a pilot, but only on my own plane. I did make the deal to buy one years ago, but the wife didn't like the idea, unless I took formal lessons, which I didn't want to do, so I guess the desire wasn't too bad.

[bubba.50]

just once before i die i would like to actually vote for a presidential candidate instead of always havin' to vote against the greater of two or more evils.

[3006guns]

A small place, by itself, in the wilds of Nevada. No neighbors, a good backstop and no politicians to screw things up............

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I've never thought of a bucket list, being middle aged, I just want to live peaceably as possible in my small town, til I pass.

BUT, I believe I completed one item of my Dad's bucket list(who is still alive, 88 yrs old, WWII vet). When I was a little kid, my Dad (who was a post master), sent my name on mailing lists for Alaska travel type of things...there were many. So I got lots of Mail, showing the beauty of Alaska (funny thing, my Brother was never involved in that). My Dad often talked about Alaska and my Great Uncle.

In 1917, my Dad's father's brother (18 years old at the time)went to Montana, after about a year, he came back to MN, told his folks to store his saddle til he came back for it...because he was headed to Alaska for Gold. He never struck it rich and he never came back to MN. After many years there, he got married (in 1934), her name was Olinga and she was part of Yupik tribe (the Yupiks were nomadic til the mid 1960s). So he became part of the tribe, they had 6 children. At a fairly young age, my Great uncle got sick and died (1945). A few years later, Olinga remarried and had six more children. So I have lots of native relatives (and some almost relatives) in Alaska. My Dad always talked about going there, but never has. Of course I wanted to go there, but my Mom never wanted to go, probably my Dad's main stumbling block. His dream was to drive there.

As an adult, I still wanted to go there, but as a young adult with a job, I never had enough vacation for a driving to Alaska vacation...and still spend time with relatives. Also I never really had enough money for a Fly to Alaska trip, so I thought.

For some reason, around 1995 ( I would have been 30 yr old), I started writting letters to a couple of my 'almost' relatives in Alaska. One wrote back, and we wrote each other a few more times. I was invited to stay with this family in Aniak, AK. They said they'd provide everything, all I had to do was get there. He (Bill) was a retired Chief of the Yupik tribe, She (Clara) was a lifelong Nurse, and had a clinic named after her. Also, My great Aunt Olinga lived nearby, she was in her 90s, and volunteering by taking care of a Priest's (Russian Orthodox) house and boat. There are no roads leaving (or coming to) Aniak, just a couple Rivers.

So, I planned a trip to stay with my Cousins. I couldn't talk my Dad into going, via a airplane, he was deadset on driving there, or he wasn't going. He didn't want to stay with relatives, he wanted to drive and stay in a RV...a trip that'd take 4 or 5 weeks or MORE?. Strange thing is, many of the relatives live where there are no roads in or out, so unless they traveled to Anchorage(where a couple cousins live), he wouldn't see them. So, as hard as it was, I went without him. It was Sept 1997, the beginning of the rainy season in Aniak, there was a Silver salmon derby, I brought my fishing gear. I spent 10 days in Aniak, fishing and spending time with my Cousin's and their childrens' families who lived in that village.

The trip was filled with many different things:

-A native Rendezvous of sorts, they called it a State Fair, but it was much more like the Rendezvous' I've attended,There was agutuk (Fish Ice Cream) which I tried and really liked it, but it's not for everyone. I bought a Marten fur hat there as well, I've never seen anything like it before, or since. I also bought a scrimshaw Bolo tie (made of walrus tusk)...and a set of Ivory Ulu earrings (for my girlfriend at the time).

-One wild and crazy boat trip up the Aniak River with Bills' son and namesake (but he liked to go by the name Guyguy) to uncle Crazy's cabin (which we never found). We camped overnight on an island(rock bar) in the middle of the river, because the brown bears are less likely to come for a visit, Guyguy said. We built a campfire and I, for one, never slept. Guyguy slept just fine.

-A visitation/traditional Russian Orthodox "native" funeral in a neighboring village (Chuathbaluk) in the deceased's Home.

-One Morning...after many mornings that I had breakfast with my Cousin Bill (he would only eat dried salmon and crackers for breakfast...his wife would make a breakfast fit for a King for the others in the house, as well as myself), I asked him, why he didn't want the breakfast that his wife cooked? He said there is nothing better than Salmon, and then told me this story, about one trip he took years ago(as Chief) with a few members of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, following the duck migration from the Aniak Area to California. Mostly, They would eat at restaurants along the way, but Cousin Bill said he wouldn't eat that food and only ate the dried salmon and sailor boy crackers he brought with. The Feds thought he was crazy. There was more to the story, but sadly I don't recall much more of it.

-A salmon BBQ and birthday party, for one of my youngest AK cousins, I think she was 8. She wasn't really happy, as this party seemed more like a party for my visit there, and less like her Birthday...I felt bad about that. By the way, now is a good time to mention that No relatives from the lower 48 have visited Aniak since my Uncle went in 1972, so this visit from a Big White Minnesota Swede, seemed like a big thing for them. I hope I didn't let them down.

-On the second to the last day, my Great Aunt Olinga came via bush plane from a neighboring town for a visit, she could speak very little english, but My cousin translated some. I got to have a long chat with her, she told me about my Great Uncle, how they met, and about living Nomadic.

It was a trip of a lifetime...One I could easily classify it as a "Supreme" item of a bucket list.

[OS OK]

At one time I did have the desire to be a pilot, but only on my own plane. I did make the deal to buy one years ago, but the wife didn't like the idea, unless I took formal lessons, which I didn't want to do, so I guess the desire wasn't too bad.

About 8 years ago my wife said that she was going to really surprise me with her present to me that year. We always try to dote on each other at Christmas that way. Anyway she gave me a paid course to get my helicopter pilots license. When she saw that I was showing some consternation over receiving the card and paperwork, she ask, "What's wrong, I thought you'd jump for joy!"
I replied that I'd rather jump out of a perfectly functional airplane than to fly a chopper! She knew how I felt about parachuting…"something you do to save your life, only that and not for fun."
Needless to say…she got a refund!

[AggieEE]

I'm with Bubba.50, I want to see politicians that are actually competent. I think I'm going to live forever .

[mold maker]

As life starts to pass you by at an ever increasing pace, your bucket list increases. After I retired I began to mark off things as no longer important or successfully completed. To tell you the truth, many things that once seemed paramount no longer held any interest.
The problem is, I found many more things to take their place. (Thanks, CB)
At my age, the list is impossibly long and growing daily.
Who knew there were so many new things to do.
Not to complain, though, I have lived a very satisfying life and am now surrounded by family and friends. I have most of the things important, and enough lead to shoot for the remainder. Been married to a great gal for 53 years and have seven Children and Grandchildren within handshaking distance. I have successfully prospected, cut gemstones, found emeralds, hunted deer, rafted the Colorado river, camped with boy scouts, spent almost 40 years on a job I loved, and built my own rifles.
I think that come Fall, I'll just use the paper from the bucket list to light the first fire of the season.

[Don Fischer]

I would love to go to Africa. Not any town's, out in the bush!

[jcwit]

Jumping out of perfectly good airplanes or off a cliff with a kite has never been on my want to do list. lol
I suppose the only thing I ever really wanted to do that I didn't was to go live remote in the Alaska bush, too old and lazy to do that now. lol

That also was my dream for many, many years.

I too am now in the same boat as you!

I'm guessing it all started listening to Sgt. Preston of the Yukon back in the latter 40's.

Ah Well, I'm still happy.

[Grits]

Just one item. See my youngest grandson grow into a man. He's five yo now.

[Taylor]

Alaska? The wife has a cousin up there somewhere,we've been invited,but have never made it.I changed birds there one time,on my way to Korea.I would like to see it some day.

I think too, I would like to move back home to the mountains.The thought of dying while living on corner lot of a subdivision,well...there's something about that,that doesn't set well with me.

[starmac]

My biggest lifelong dream was to come to Alaska, but not just for a vacation of a week or three. I didn't come the first time till all but my youngest son had grown up and left home, so it was late in life. Marking that off the bucket list, which I really never had, is enough for me.
My one biggest regret was turning around in washington and heading back to Texas, 20 some odd years before, when It became apparent my wife was pregnant with our first.