Rigo Torres

Julia Intawiwat
12/1/14
UWRT 1103 - 16
Exploring the purpose and process of bucket lists
The term bucket list has a dubious history. Most people recognize that it was
popularized in the movie The Bucket List, but it is also believed that the term existed
well before the movie appeared in theatres. It takes its origin from another phrase with
a debated history, kick the bucket. The widely held belief is that the bucket in this
case is a bucket that one would stand on when hanging themselves and which they
would kick out from underneath them to finalize the process. This definition originates
from John Badcock's ''Slang: a dictionary of the turf, the ring, the chase, the pit, of bonton, and the varieties of life', London 1823. However, outside from this one source, there
is extremely little evidence that this is the true origin. The history of the phrase is fuzzy,
but the definitions are clear. Kicking the bucket means to die, and someones bucket
list is a list of activities they wish to do before they die. While the movie [The Bucket
List] may not have been the actual origin of the phrase, it played a big part in
popularizing it in America.
The Bucket List follows Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson as two terminally
ill men who leave their cancer ward and begin a road trip to complete their bucket lists.
In the context of the movie, bucket lists were both a way of confronting mortality while
celebrating life and its joys. Part of the benefit behind writing a bucket list is the
introspection involved in the process. The writer has to examine himself/herself and find
what is actually important in their life. This became urgently clear to the main characters
of The Bucket List, but it is a necessary topic in every persons life at one time or
another. Everyone deals with aspects of self-realization in different ways, and writing a
bucket list is an interesting one that has the user assess their values, their goals and
their own mortality. Certainly, however, there are a lot of people who create bucket lists
for a lot of different reasons and with different goals in mind.

The idea of a bucket list is often stretched a good bit to conveniently fit over
several personal goal definitions, depending on the context. With the loose definitions,
it could technically cover them all, but it sure would give The Bucket List a different
vibe if Morgan Freeman said he wanted to cure world hunger before he passed away.
Or if one of Jack Nicholsons bucket list items was Make someone smile. While these
could be lumped under the definition for a bucket list item, they still dont quite fit. Some
of them are just too small, and others are way too big. What makes bucket lists
important is that the items are attainable, but also something meaningful to the person.
For some people, bucket lists can become an extensive, and a bit morbid, to-do
list. In my research, Ive found communities and blogs where people list out hundreds
and even thousands of entries on their bucket lists. These lists are categorized and
sorted into sections like Social, Career and Fitness. And the items vary from big
items like Climb Mt. Everest to small items like Make someone laugh. Its unfair to
judge how events like these will impact a person, but I seriously worry if the person has
the same reaction from telling a joke that they would from climbing one of the tallest
mountains in the world. In these circles, there seems to be little distinction between
grand life changing experiences, and mundane every-day goals. Theres nothing
wrong with these small goals, everyone should strive to make others laugh and smile,
but these goals seem a little odd in the context of a bucket list. Theyre fairly simple and
easy to accomplish, while bucket list items tend to be a big undertaking for a person,
often requiring weeks or months of planning. Daily goals may be a little small to be
considered bucket list items, but they are certainly attainable and this is a good aspect
of any type of goal.
On the other side of the spectrum, some goals are set unrealistically high. Many
of these goals would be more accurately categorized as hopes, wishes or dreams,
because they usually are not realistically achievable by someone. They still find their
way on many peoples bucket lists however. For instance, in an article written in
American Nurse called The Bucket List, Rebecca Patton describes talking to a group
of nurses about their bucket lists:

Also shared on many of our lists was an end to the lack of respect for the critical role
that nurses provide at the bedside or advanced practice roles. (Patton, RM)

Its a nice thought to raise awareness of the necessary role of nurses, but its also
ridiculous to suppose that any one of these nurses could
eradicate lack of respect. Im sure the author means that
they wish that there would be changes in public opinion,
but it still doesnt really fit the bucket list theme of the
articles title. Its important that the goal is something that
can actually be accomplished in someones life or, by
definition, it shouldnt be on a bucket list. Another problem
with these kinds of goals, in the context of bucket lists, is
that they are often too vague. It is difficult to plan out how
you might accomplish a goal if it is not well defined.
In Into The Wild, McCandless made it his goal to be self sustaining and live in
the Alaskan wilderness. His life goal was very tightly woven into his system of beliefs
and values; McCandless completing his goal would have been had a lot of meaning to
him. It was a big undertaking that not a lot of people can do, but it was possible.
McCandless goal is a great example of a bucket list item, even if he was unable to
accomplish it. As in completing any item on ones bucket list, preparation is crucial to
succeeding. Though McCandless did have some experience in the previous months, he
was not prepared enough for one of the harshest landscapes in America.
Some of the most common bucket list items are seeing the northern lights,
skydiving, getting a tattoo and swimming with dolphins(www.bucketlist.net). These
things have in common that they are far out of the ordinary for most people. Getting a
tattoo can be pretty common in some groups of people, but for others this is a rare and
exciting opportunity to express themselves. Skydiving offers an extreme adrenaline rush
and the northern lights are awe-inspiring to see, these bucket list items are rich new
experiences that many people would not normally encounter. The most important
aspect of bucket list items is that they create meaningful new memories. Bucket lists are
created to give life some extra fulfillment and excitement that that person will remember.

McCandless very well understood how to set a meaningful goal ahead of himself and
had the drive to get there, but he didnt take the time to plan or prepare enough to
accomplish his goal. We can learn from his aspirations and also his mistakes when we
think of adding items to our bucket lists.