BUCKET LISTS
Originally Published the Week of December 6, 2012 in Western Outdoor News Publications
“When your life finally flashes before your eyes, you will have only moments to regret all the things in life you never had the courage to try.”
Ever since the 2007 movie of the same name with Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman, the term “Bucket List” has become part of our lexicon. Jack and Morgan played two escapees from the cancer ward and set off to do all the things in life they always wanted before they “kicked the proverbial bucket.”
I seem to hear that so often from friends and clients who visit us in Mexico. I think some days hardly go by where someone doesn’t happily tell me…
“That was a great roosterfish. Been trying for years! Cross that one off the bucket list!”
“What a great time! Always wanted to go fishing with my son and grandson! It was on my bucket list.”
“Bucket list just got shorter. Me and my wife just snorkeled with whale sharks this afternoon!”
Sometimes, it’s not even that complicated.
“We’ve lived our whole lives in Indiana. We wanted to visit the ocean just once! Yessiree. It was on the bucket list.”
When I hear something like that I realize how often I take stuff for granted. Having grown up always outdoors in the mountains; on an island; in the water or under the water, I just don’t think twice about so many things. Many of those things might seem dangerous or daring…or plain stupid and reckless, I suppose to some folks!
But believe me, I’m no daredevil. I’m not crazy nor do I have a deathwish nor am I an adrenaline junkie. There’s a difference between an “e-ticket ride” that’s a bit scary but always ends and with you steppping \ off the ride laughing…and the real Evel Kneivel stuff where you can get hurt and you’d better have you medical insurance card handy.
But, it’s all relative. My e-ticket ride is someone else’s mad crazy adventure.
Dive with sharks. No problem.
Live off the land in a cave. Sure.
Hang glide. Sign me up.
Jump out of an airplane. Safer than crossing the street.
Ride a manta ray. In an instant.
Run through Central Park New York at midnight on a dare. I was young and stupid. Draw the line at that one! Not recommended.
But…
My personal bucket list continuously keeps getting longer and longer. Not shorter. The more I do and see, the more I add things to the list. This past week, I just crossed-off zip-lining through a rain forest and looking for crocodiles while I paddled through jungle mangroves off the list. (Topics for another column!)
And, I keep hearing more and more people discuss their own personal bucket lists. More than ever before. Maybe, it’s just the age group I’m in.
We’re the baby boomers. We’re not 30 or 40 anymore. Look around and oops…how the time flew! We’re 50-plus and edging up and over 60-years-old. Many of my friends have grown grandkids already. Many retired or close to it.
Fifty-years-old is the new 30-years-old! Retirement or older age doesn’t mean shopping for a rocking chair anymore. More often, it means a new kind of freedom. What do you do with your second wind?
I think many of us are finding Mexico. Despite what you might hear on the news, about the violence and other problems, tourism has been on a steady rise in Mexico. In fact ,it’s one of the fastest growing tourist destinations in the world.
For many Americans, especially, Mexico is pretty much an easy airflight from most big U.S. cities. It’s economic. It’s close. It’s filled with culture and history and pretty much any “diversion” that would fill anyone’s bucket list. There’s still so much adventure to be had. And the dollar goes far!
I think the only real shame is that as we grow older, we start looking at our personal bucket lists. And then there’s a rush to get to it!
More than 20 years ago, a retired friend pulled me aside and said , “Don’t ever get to my age and say ‘What if?’ We always says ‘Someday I’m gonna do this or that.” Well, ‘someday’ is already here and if you have opportunities, take them!”
At the time he said this he was a “young” 62, but knew he was sick. He passed away about a year after he said this.
“What if…?”
Start that bucket list early. Someday, you will have only moments to regret all the things in life you never tried. Step onto the ride. Exit laughing!
That’s our story
Jonathan and Jilly
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Jonathan Roldan has been writing the Baja Column in Western Outdoor News since 2004. Along with his wife, Jill, they own and run the Tailhunter International Fishing Fleet in La Paz, Baja, Mexico www.tailhunter-international.com. They also run their Tailhunter Restaurant Bar on the famous La Paz malecon waterfront. If you’d like to contact him directly, his e-mail is riplipboy@tailhunter-international.com or drop by the restaurant to say hi!
Jonathan Roldan’s
Tailhunter International
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Website: www.tailhunter-international.com
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“When your life finally flashes before your eyes, you will have only moments to regret all the things in life you never had the courage to try.”
That's My Story 