Wish List or Bucket List?

Joshua Earle photo

By

Hazel Speed

It is rather strange, but whilst watching the wonderful drama series ‘Life on Mars‘ it inspired me to write this article.

The drama explores a surreal concept of a policeman, unconscious in real time, who travels back in his subconscious to the 1970s at a time when things were not PC (no pun intended).

I have to tell you that it is a most accurate social record of its day and age and must admit to some nostalgia, though I would not wish to revisit that time, nor any other, again.

Time is the quantifier between something being an item on a ‘wish list’ or a ‘bucket list’, in the main, at least, but not exclusively so.

If we know we are about to die, then it becomes obvious a bucket list is more apparent, even if it is physically impossible to realise a dream at that stage. Also one’s age is a factor – have we lived a full life and seized every opportunity within our ability?

Looking back over my own life I can say I did just that, so have no regrets, but neither would I wish to repeat my life, as some say they so wish that they could.

I believe we are in this existence as a route of learning via experiences then, with that inherent knowledge, we move on to another realm.

One thing that is odd about experience is that ‘it is what we get when we don’t get what we want’ (a quote from a badge).

Also, we have no control over 3rd party impingements on our lives which can disrupt and/or cause chaos and rob us of careers, people or things.  If such occurs, we must be philosophical and look at it all as part of our experience of life.

Wish lists are more like a shopping list of things to do throughout life at some time.

Meeting Mr or Ms Right

Getting married

Having children

Owning a house

Pursuing a career or utilising a talent

Having sufficient wealth to prove our success, both to ourselves and others

Exotic holidays and a new car every year

Very few people list happiness at the top of a wish list or good health, unless they are very ill.

A bucket list mostly looks back over a life, whether a person is young or old, though if a young person is close to death, then they may rightly feel cheated of what they customarily could have had if they lived an average life span.

They say, in respect of older people especially, that nobody says, when facing death, that they wish they had spent more time in the office, but want to see family or someone for the last time, or want to ensure final messages are passed to a person who promises to deliver the same.

Although I have had many wonderful experiences and privileges, I know some things I will never achieve.

To direct some of my own drama scripts, despite having produced an animation film short

To sell the film rights for my e-novel

To appear in a cameo role of a spy or thriller movie

To meet someone again who is beyond my access, but whom can correct an injustice from times gone by, should our paths ever cross.  Then again, would they want to?

My ambitions will probably not be realised and, as for injustice, after a while those things one just has to leave with God.

What is the saying ‘Charity begins at home, justice – next door.’  Not many people care unless it happens to them. Another good thought many rely on – ‘we should all live each day as if it is our last, as one day it will be’.

The trick is to ascertain in our own lives where the demarcation line may be between a wish list and a bucket list.

If we live our lives to the best of our ability and within the confines of our conscience (‘To thine own self be true’), then the line between the two lists becomes irrelevant and we can look forward to our next challenge where such lists do not exist.

Some of us would like to be remembered after our demise, probably dependent upon whether one leaves family behind, but others do not care about history recalling their name as that is not important to them.

Who am I, we might say, when the world comprises of millions of people, most living, or trying to live, within times of poverty, hunger and wars. Their wish list and bucket lists are probably combined under one list of an unknown name, perhaps a ‘hope list’.

When we see newspapers listing the world’s rich and famous, there should be included therein details of those coping at the other extreme of life. Perhaps my Bucket List should be that those with a desperate hope list should have their wishes fulfilled, as I truly do not need anything more.

Love lives on and goes with us when we depart this life so perhaps, regarding the saying that there are no pockets in shrouds, there is a metaphorical one within which we carry love.

I hope readers can look again to reassess their own lists and ensure each one has aims within the right column.  For when one has, it affords a wonderful sense of personal peace.

From news bulletins this week, the top item on one part of the world’s ‘hope list’ is a single bag of rice, and that is just ‘manna for one day’.

That says it all, doesn’t it, and suddenly our own wish lists and bucket lists leave our thoughts to be replaced in our thinking by a bag of rice.

Hazel Speed

Photo (c) Hazel Speed – used by kind permision to Tuck Magazine

Hazel Speed is a Philosopher, Writer, and Artist with various creative projects at differing stages of development. Her flaship project is an animation which has produced a film short: www.thepinkprofessor.com. She has also written an E-novel, ‘Just Suppose…!‘ which is available via the attached link.

Art sites: www.candystoreart.com, www.terrificart.com, www.artbadges.co.uk