Bucket List: Morbid or Meaningful?

Today I was thinking about bucket lists.  You know, that list of stuff you want to accomplish before you die?  I once had a friend tell me she thought it was very morbid to have one because writing one was anticipating your own death.  I have decided that I disagree.

Today I was in the car with Joe, and I we got talking about the Dave Matthew's band.  Joe mentioned he'd seen them at the Gorge in Washington, and I shared that I hoped to one day see them at Red Rocks.   My brother has seen a couple of concerts at Red Rocks and swears it's one of the best concert experiences he's ever had; I trust him since he's been to well over 200 (including five years of Coachella).  All this talk about what I "have to do" got me thinking about Bucket Lists.  

Where to begin?  Well, I began with the fact that I'm nostalgic, love music, and love beautiful people and places.  I am also a fat kid at heart, so I love good food.  Keeping those things in mind I was able to come up with a few categories that include travel, dining, design, amongst a few other things.  And now, I share with you all the humble beginnings of my very own bucket list.  I will also warn you, number two may not make any sense to you unless you enjoy beauty pageants.

1.  See a concert at Red Rocks (a really, really good one)

2.  Find out who Meemaw is

3.  Get married

4.  Have a baby

5.  Go skydiving

6.  Own a baby grand piano and play it very, very well

7.  Learn jazz piano (I only know classical)

8.  Go to a midnight showing of a movie

9.  Eat at one of Gordon Ramsay's restaurants

10.  Watch the Miss America Pageant live from the audience

11.  Go to Greece

12.  Go to Australia

13.  Go to Italy, for a month.

14.  Go to the Czech Republic

15.  have a book published

16.  Get my Master's

17.  Go to Washington, D.C.

18. See Ray LaMontagne in concert

19.  See Damien Rice in concert (again)

20.  See Billy Joel in concert

21.  See the Dave Matthews Band in concert

22.  Cook an entire "Julia Child" meal (appetizer, main course, dessert)

23.  Learn how to make and frost a cake with fondant

24.  Join a Master's swim club

25.  Compete in a triathlon

Now sure, it's still pretty brief, but in time I'm rather sure that the list will grow and keep me quite busy for a long time.  And while some people may think that a bucket list is rather morbid and anticipatory of our final fate, I think a bucket list helps people keep perspective and set goals.  It also helps people live the kind of life that they can look back at and be happy and proud.  For me, a bucket list gives life a little extra meaning.