Friday, February 16, 2018

Kicking the bucket (on down the road)

I'll get to it later

In a New York Times op-ed piece last week, Clyde Haberman wrote about our fondness for compiling lists of things we’d like to do or see before we die.

That old bugbear, “a new study,” showed that 91 percent of us have made a “bucket list.” Haberman marvels at the nine percent who have not. “Are we to believe that nothing in their basket of wishes is unfulfilled?” he wonders snarkily. 

Why is this hard to believe? Is it so remarkable that some of us, in fact, may have never had a basket, and don’t have a bucket? While Haberman may think we need to live a little, could it be, possibly, that some or all of the toothless tenth of those surveyed have no particular desire to go down kicking, having decided, for one reason or another, that they’ve lived enough already?   

Haberman does mention the reverse bucket list, comprised of things the compiler has no intention of ever doing—why not call it the _uckit list?—such as climbing Mount Everest, visiting Las Vegas, reading Proust, or meeting the Dalai Lama. (I suppose it would be helpful to carry such a list around with you as you grow steadily older and more forgetful, just in case someone invites you to climb Mount Everest and you’re tempted to accept.)

Haberman makes an odd statement: “Perhaps not surprisingly, those who put stock in religion and spirituality were more likely to compile such a (bucket) list than those of little faith.” Why is this not surprising? Shouldn’t the non- or irreligious, being more likely not to believe in another life, be more prone to want to live it up while they can?

Scuba diving and appearing on Dr. Phil head up my reverse bucket list. What’s on yours?  Your comments are welcome. 

For help with your bucket list, of whatever variety, go here

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