My Bucket Has A Hole!

/ Katybeth

Bucket List has a Hole!

Call me odd, but I don’t have or want a “bucket list” filled with future goals and wannabe achievements.  These days, I have little or no desire to improve myself all that much. I don’t want to learn how to speak a foreign language. I may never master a chocolate soufflé.  I’m content to let others take the roads less traveled while I travel the familiar route, fine-tuning what I already enjoy and would like to do more of while I go along my merry way.  Perhaps inviting myself to be just a bit better at what I’m already good at and already enjoy is the way to go.  I mean, think about it – the worst case scenario is I will land back at “good enough” if I fail at brilliance.

Cover your kids’ eyes … Learning new things is not fun.  Oh sure it’s fun to torture our children with the pithy little homily, “Learning New Things is Such Fun,”  as once again, they fail at a cello piece and beg you to run over their cello with your car.  Naturally, it’s fun to smugly say while taking the perfect potatoes au gratin out of the oven, “Learning New Things IS SUCH Fun,” but what did you say the first three times the potatoes turned out green and the cheese was stringy? Mmmm?  Arriving is fun, but as far as the learning curve goes, I’m the little train that says…I don’t think so.

My bucket has a hole in it, and I have decided to replace it with a “friends list.” My appreciation for your language skills and culinary abilities grows every day.  I’m content to just enjoy who you are as I nibble on your chocolate soufflé or Rice Krispie treats, and let you speak fluent Spanish to my housekeeper that I hired from the Maid Easy Brisbane North cleaning service.  Feel free to add me to your friends list and take advantage of my ability to teach you how to sign in to Facebook, Twitter away the day, and cure your dog’s diarrhea – I’m an expert!  Or perhaps I can show you how to cut and paste on your computer.

Nope, I don’t want to read the bible from cover to cover. No offense, but it works a lot better for me to find a friend who really enjoyed the bible from cover to cover and then talk to him about it in bits and pieces – especially if the bits are interesting. So should it ever cross my mind to learn about the bible or any other famous literary works I find myself unmotivated to read, I will head to my Friends list.  We both win!  I don’t have to read something I don’t find all that interesting, and the friend who does has the opportunity to share their advanced knowledge with me. Sure, maybe you will tell me Brad Pitt parted the Red Sea and I will believe you without a blink, but surely after I pass along your misinformation enough times, someone will say, “Ya know, I think it was really Charlton Heston.”

So instead of having a bucket list filling up with “whats,” I have a friend list filling up with  You, and You, and You all doing what you do best: exercise, cook, essential oils, teaching, breathing, bookkeeping, proof reading, yoga, investing, sewing, traveling, dining, marketing, dog showing and training,  selling, washing dishes, creating, gardening, self improving, and on and on and on. This is my future.  When I turn 90 and look back, I am going to feel just as fulfilled with my list as the friend standing next to me on her way to jump out of a plane, or on her way to Italian lessons.  I’m going to wave them off as I pat my dog, drink a sip of my Mocha Frap and update my Facebook status,  “Today, my wild and crazy friend jumped from a plane while speaking Italian to the pilot (can’t wait to hear from her!). I took my grandkids river rafting like my mom use to take their dad. It’s been one of the things I have really enjoyed over the years.”

Glad you were in my Odd neighborhood. Feel free to drop by any time. Odd Loves Company and odd loves you and you and you!! I would love to hear from you in the comment section of this blog, or on Facebook or Twitter!

15 thoughts on “My Bucket Has A Hole!”

  1. i don’t, either, and many people don’t understand that. i just don’t deal in “goals” per se…rather, i am open to possibility. i want to grow in my understanding of who i am and who i have been and who i might be, and yes, i am sure i will learn many new things along the way…but i don’t want to limit myself by thinking i already know what those are or feel that i’ve somehow failed if i don’t accomplish x, y, or z and and neglect to recognize the surprising successes that have been a, b, and c instead. i am open to both breadth and depth of experience, mine and yours, and am interested in many, many things…most of all, i’m interested in what happens when we share these things w/ one another.

  3. This post just fills me to overflowing. I dare say you are speaking about building a “tribe”! And I couldn’t agree with you more. We can use each others’ wisdom to keep our own mind-space clutter-free! I am delighted to be in your tribe, KB.

  4. You know Kb after being friends for over twenty-five years I am always amazed at the new components I learn about you. I so admire your ability to express the fundamentals that connect us all. Maybe those things that don’t break us do make us appreciate those things that we have – I’m looking forward to being 90 with you (okay, don’t tell everyone I’ll be just a wee bit older than you and not looking more than a day past 80)

  5. that was lovely KB. just what I needed today. and have been enjoying your posts here. liked cynthia’s comment about the ‘tribe’, too. so glad to see you writing here!

  6. Hi Katybeth,
    Julie Pierce forwarded me this article. Did you write it? I figured as such because it has your name on it!!! I was a friend of Joe’s in grammar school, and had a chance to spend some time with him at our little get together after Thanksgiving.
    I was at your home for his memorial service – what a lovely send off to an awesome guy!
    You are a very gifted writer – I soooo enjoyed the article!!!
    Take care and send my love to Cole…
    Susan Carsello

    • Thank you so much, Susan. Yes, I wrote the post but was inspired by many! Glad you were part of the Memorial Service..it was exactly the sort of send off, I wanted to give Joe and I think we pulled it off! Take good care and thanks for dropping by Odd!

  7. Wow. Your words run deep, your humor makes it all better and your spirituality is an inspiration. Thank you for allowing us into your world, and thank you Joe for giving us a new friend in Katybeth.

  8. Here I was thinking I was just lazy because I don’t really have a “bucket list” either. Now I realize I’m not lazy I’m just conserving my energy for what I am good at and what I am interested in. Remember, if you have any questions about Top Chef, Project Runway, or any of the Real Housewives series I’m your girl. I somehow feel I won’t be hearing from you, but that’s okay. I’ll still be stealing your insights and dog diarrhea knowledge.

Comments are closed.