Bucket List or Life List? Must Everything be Politically Correct?

     In our soft, overly sensitive, not-so-brave new world there are many who have difficulty accepting some basic realities. In an effort to keep everyone happy and positive we have created a long list of words and phrases to describe just about everything, from our ethnic origins to our mental and emotional limitations to (you guessed it) the things we want to do before we die.

     It was recently pointed out to me that my "Bucket List" was politically incorrect. Apparently it should be called my "Life List," affirming the vitality of living, rather than emphasizing the end of life. I suppose I am to understand from this comment that it's just too difficult to accept life as a temporary state of being, that in order to remain positive about living, we must deny the inevitability of death.

    I say hogwash. We are born, we live and then we die. What we make of our time in between is our purpose for existence, and our individual choice. Why must we continue to pussyfoot around the obvious?

    Whether we live a good life or a miserable one, a life filled with loving friends, rewarding work and enriching interests, or one spent in mindless oblivion or whiny, disgruntled complaint, is entirely up to the individual. Yes, there are obstacles, challenges, set-back, and difficulties, but they are relative to each of us and are placed in our path to be overcome - to help us grow, learn, and strengthen. Sometimes we will be defeated, and sometimes we will thrive. That is a fact of life.  So is the reality that we do not live forever. Immortality is a fantasy, just like the vampires that are such a craze these days. The body has a life span, for some it is longer than for others, but eventually our bodies will wear out, break, crumple and finally just stop. No gentle words will change that fact.

   So yes, I have a "Bucket List" of things I want to do before I kick the bucket, before I die and while I'm still able. You can call it a "Life List" or a "Wish List" or anything that makes you feel better about the facts. But keep in mind that if you put off the things you truly want to do, you may very well end up too old or too sick or on your death bed before you experience the many joys life has to offer.