Living life to the fullest
If you want to climb a mountain, travel or complete other lofty goals, you
have the makings of a “bucket list”. Writer Amar Mistry explains how he
made his dreams a reality—and how you can, too.
A
s I passed the finish
line amongst cheering
crowds, I felt like I was
about to collapse. Cramping
muscles,
dehydration
and
tiredness were all taking their
toll in the last few steps of a
26.2-mile race. But after 4 hours
and 13 minutes, I passed under
the timer board—a full marathon
completed! After 10 months of
preparation and planning, I was
able to tick another item off my
bucket list.
A “bucket list” is a list of
activities, destinations and other
experiences you want to do
before you die. Some people
make them to ensure they do
not forget about their hopes and
dreams.
A fellow runner, Caroline from
Manchester, recalls when she
decided to run the marathon with
me:
“I’d always wanted to do it,
but never had a good reason or
timing was never right. When
Amar mentioned he was running
and that by next year I’d have
ticked off a bucket list item, it
really appealed to me. I signed
up, trained and now have the
medal!”
The origin of the term is not
clear, but it is thought to have
come from the phrase “kick the
bucket”, which is used to describe
dying. In John Badcock’s Slang
Dictionary from 1823, a man
about to be executed is described
as standing on a bucket with a
noose around his neck, and when
the bucket is kicked away, the
man is killed.
A second idea, from the Oxford
English Dictionary, is that the
saying is related to the beam
from which slaughtered animals
used to be hung. The animals
would kick the beam, known as
a “bucket”, in their death throes.
A final theory, from the Relics
of Popery from 1949 links the
bucket to the Catholic tradition
of placing a bucket of holy water
at the feet of the departed, so that
funeral attendees could sprinkle
water on the body.
Each idea has at least a loose
link, but language is such that
it could be any of the theories,
none of them, or perhaps even
each of them. Nevertheless
the term has caught on and
is accepted worldwide. U.S.
President Barack Obama used
it in a speech in April 2015 in
a very humorous way as a faux
rhyming word.
In popular culture, the film “The
Bucket List” follows two ailing
old men that pursue all of the
things they wished they had done
in their life. Starring Morgan
Freeman and Jack Nicholson,
the movie also shows how the
characters reflect on their lives.
Websites allow people to record
their bucket list items and
offer reviews to others who are
considering doing the same thing.
BucketList, a company based in
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Canada, has created a platform
that has helped connect people
from across the world who have
the same hopes and dreams. For
instance, before running the
marathon, I searched for people
who had run one, because much
of the information about the
races was from professionals.
As an amateur runner, hearing
from people in the same boat
really helped give me a layman’s
perspective on the challenges I
faced.
Some people will review their
bucket lists from time to time,
perhaps when making New
Year’s resolutions. Others will
make the list and forget about it,
coming back to it later to realise
they have already completed a
lot of the items.
“I’ve had a bucket list from a
very young age, it helps with my
life plan, you know,” says Rene
of Guinea. “I’ve added and
crossed off many, many things,
and still [have] many, many to
go—but the biggest, of course,
has to be living in Japan. I spent
six months there, and it was one
of the best experiences of my
life! Next, is the Great Wall!”
I wrote one five years ago just
after finishing university and
forgot about it for a while.
On my bucket list are travel
goals, things to see or do across
the world, including visiting
Japan, climbing the Great Wall
of China and seeing the Northern
Lights. There are a few quirkier
things too, such as baking
some brownies from scratch or
learning to salsa. Some other
notable additions include playing
chess in the street, paying for a
stranger’s meal, and building a
massive snowman.
After a few years, I came
across my list and realised I had
completed a few things.
Skydiving was a great experience,
but it wasn’t as exciting as I had
expected. In contrast, I had low
expectations before visiting
the Taj Mahal, but it was truly
breathtaking. I was completely
absorbed by the guide’s stories
and with taking pictures—so
much so that my camera-phone’s
battery ran out!
I’ve also managed to ride a
horse, get hypnotised and visit
the Eiffel Tower.
A lot of people don’t even have
a list, but just accept that some
things are a bucket list item, like
swimming with dolphins.
“Swimming with dolphins was a
childhood dream,” says Jess, 27,
of London. “It’s amazing how
intelligent they are.
Whilst I don’t have an official
bucket list, there are a few things
that I want to do before I die,
namely bungee jumping and
skydiving. I’ve already swum
with dolphins, which is the main
thing I always wanted to do, and
I’ve been lucky to have some
great travel experiences!”
Writing lists, however, isn’t for
everybody. Too much planning
can sometimes even get in the
way, says William, 20, from
Warrington.
“I don’t have a bucket list—I feel
as though I’d end up doing things
not because I want to, but just to
finish a checklist,” he says. “For
me it would take the enjoyment
out of it and ruin the moment;
I like being spontaneous rather
than having a plan. The closest
thing to a bucket list item I’d
probably like to do would be to
live in New York someday.”
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My next bucket list item is
climbing Mount Kilimanjaro.
After a friend announced a
wedding in Zanzibar, I decided to
combine my wedding attendance
with a six- or seven-day trek up
the tallest mountain in Africa. I
drafted several other climbers,
and we’re hoping to reach the
summit in early August before
a well-deserved break on the
beach in Zanzibar. I managed
to convince my fellow climbers
by saying, “Everybody wants to
cross this off their bucket list—
why not now?”
Looking back at my list gives
me a sense of achievement when
I realise I have ticked a lot of
things off, and it also gives me
things to look forward to. It
can be easy to forget about the
longer-term goals when you’re
thinking about how to progress
in a particular career or field of
study. A bucket list can help you
keep an eye on your dreams.
Most Popular Bucket List Items
according to Bucketlist.org
Swim with dolphins
Learn a new language
Go on a cruise
See the Northern Lights
Skydiving
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