The Bucket List

Karen’s Log:


Star Date--New Year’s Eve.

Two Thousand Eleven.

Lexington Township, Maine… somewhere on the 45th North Parallel…Earth…Milky Way Galaxy.

The crew is restless. Edgy. Almost…pains in my @$$.

The new year—2012—begins in just a few minutes. And…everyone wonders….

What will the year hold? Will the world end on December 21st, as many people believe? Will concern about that possible happenstance change the way any of us live our lives?

And if so… how?

Well, I (Karen Louise Bessey Pease, a.k.a. Kazza, Kaz, Mama, Mum, Sweetie and Honey) for one, intend to create a “Bucket List”.

For those of you who don’t know what I mean by “Bucket List”; it’s simple. A “Bucket List” is a list of things which you hope to do, say, accomplish, experience or survive before you “Kick the Bucket”.

Yes. It’s a list of things you want to do before you die. But making lists is easy. I also intend to start checking off some of the items!

 think I’ve led a life which has been relatively unselfish. I’ve asked very little of others unless I was willing to give in equal measure; and when I had to ask at all, I tried to repay their generosity with something “in kind”. It’s always been a matter of pride, I guess. I don’t like feeling like I am indebted to anyone.

But there’s no way a Bucket List can be completely unselfish or philanthropic. Not really. After all, it is a compilation of things I want to do–not things I want for others. Yes, sure…I want world peace. But if I’ve got less than 12 months left on this planet, it’s beyond my ability to make “world peace” happen. Realistically—wouldn’t that be a complete waste of time? Especially since—when the world ends of December 21st–all those warring factions are destined to go up in smoke right alongside me?

And really… how boring would it be if we had world peace? It’s unrealistic. It’s against all things natural. Take a good look at this planet. How many sentient beings live in harmony with other sentient beings? It’s a dog-eat-dog world.

So. Even though I truly don’t believe the Mayan Calendar is the be-all, end-all…. Still, I’ll use this opportunity to write a first draft of my bucket list. It will undergo changes and revisions, sure. Life is like that. Nothing is set in stone. But this list will be a start. Something for me to refer to–and aspire to follow.

BUCKET LIST (not necessarily in the order of importance…):

#1: Pay off the mortgage on my homestead. I would love (LOVE) to gift my husband with the security of knowing that—no matter what befalls us—we would not lose our home, a place which gives him such peace and satisfaction.

#2: Have a novel make the New York Times Best Sellers’ List—mostly so that I could afford to pay off the mortgage and give my husband that security.

#3: Get a pilot’s license. I’d prefer to learn how to fly a chopper, but with only a few months to devote to the prospect, I’ll settle for learning to fly an airplane. I’ve been told it is easier and cheaper.

#4: Meet my friend and co-author, Saint. That’s all. I just wanna stare at him across a table and tell him how he’s enriched my life over the last few years. Also… I’d like to show him what good care I’m taking of the puppies he gifted me for my 48th birthday.

#5: Spend 4 months in Australia…riding cross-country on motorcycles with my pal Larry and visiting all the Aussie friends I’ve made in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria. That would be the ultimate vacation, and a dream come true.

#6: Sail on the ocean. A schooner, windjammer, clipper…catamaran or sailboat. I just want to feel the sea breeze, ride the swells, be at the mercy of (and try to conquer) the power and might of the ocean.

#7: Since this is my fantasy, I’d like to add this: Hundreds of Maine citizens have been working their buns off in an attempt to bring common sense to the energy policies of this state. Friends of mine have suffered health problems caused by improperly sited wind turbines. They’ve suffered loss of property value and quality of life, as well. I would love to be able to witness the citizens of Maine taking control of this issue and creating an atmosphere where common sense, science, economics and EMPATHY govern our energy plan.

#8: World Pease. I mean…“peace”, of course.  And learn to ski. Maybe. 

#9: It would be really cool if I could write something which would change people’s lives for the better. I would love to know that my thoughts and words had a positive impact on others. (It would also be great if that ‘writing’ made me a good chunk of change, so that I could pay off the mortgage and give my family that wonderful kind of security…See #’s 1 and 2 on my Bucket List.)

#10: Climb Mt. Katahdin. And (I’m really reaching, here—but it’s my fantasy!) not see a single wind turbine from the summit.

Now that I’m on a roll, I can think of a dozen other “wants” for my list, but I’ll settle for ten. If I could accomplish just half of my goals, I’d be completely content to vaporize along with the rest of you on December 21, 2012.

In truth, a Bucket List is something we all should have... something we should create and then strive to fulfill. I don’t believe the world will end next December. But I know for a fact that no one–not a single one of us–knows when we will die. It might be tomorrow or 50 years from now. We should live like there is no “tomorrow”–even while responsibly planning for it.

World Peace? Hah! I can’t even get my teenagers to quit sniping at and sparring with each other!

But I am going to make it a point to work towards the goals on my Bucket List. I’ll fly an airplane. Meet Saint. Tour Australia. Write a Best Seller. And give my family some peace of mind and security.

Next year—THIS year—will be great.

Happy New Year. Happy 2012.