BUCKET LIST ITEM #1... CHECK

BUCKET LIST DEFINED

A list of things you wish to do before you die.

REDEFINED

A list of things I will accomplish while I am alive.

I am a firm believer in speaking in the positive.

INSPIRATION

I've heard of the term, "bucket list," but have not felt the urge to create a wish list of activity before death. I can not recall where I was or who I was with when I first watched the movie.


SIDE-NOTE: Now if I watched The Bucket List with my sister Elizabeth, she would have been able to tell me the date and time, where we were, what we were wearing, what side of the couch I was sitting on along with which direction the wind was blowing while we were tuned in for that 2 hour period. Some people got it like that and my sister Lizzy is one of dem rare folk. My memory for this kinda thing is straight shot. Near non-existent... and I chose NOT to smoke pot. I'm just sayin.

The Bucket List stars Morgan Freeman (playing Carter Chambers) and Jack Nicholson (who plays Edward Cole). SPOILER ALERT! These ole boys find themselves side-by-side in hospital beds with months to live. Carter of humble means and rooted family values gets mixed up with Edward Cole, who has a thrill for adventure and deep pockets.

A few of my favorite quotes:

Carter: You measure yourself by the people who measure themselves by you.

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Edward: The sequel was like that. She never backed me up on anything.

Carter: The sequel?

Edward: The second Mrs Edward Cole.
[Carter rolls his eyes]

Edward: Hell, that woman hated me.

Carter: Maybe because you called her the sequel.

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Edward: Here's something to remember when you're older Thomas - never pass up a bathroom, never waste a hard-on, and never trust a fart.

Thomas (Edwards assistant): I'll remember that when I start "decrepitating" sir.

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And my absolute favorite quote from The Bucket List:

Carter: [to Edward, of the two questions asked of the dead by the gods at the entrance to heaven] Have you found joy in your life? Has your life brought joy to others?

After watching this movie I realized three things:

1. The purpose of life is to experience a fullness of joy.

There's absolutely no need to wait until there's a piss bag at your side and a nurse named Mildred tending to your tapioca pudding until you determine what those things are that you want to experience in this life that will bring you joy.

2. What gets measured gets done.

Dreams are ideas never documented. Goals are dreams that are put down on a piece of paper with a plan of action of how that dream (turned measurable goal) will be accomplished.

Goals get completed. Dreams are talked about until the day you die. Which leads me to number three...

3. Talk is cheap.

Ask a man what he thinks about an idea, item or service. Most of the time he will be agreeable and will pacify you with the answer he thinks you want to hear.

Charles: "Awe Jimmy, those new neon green loafers are the cats meow. What do you think?"

Jimmy: "Oh yeah, they are great Charles! And for $8.27, what a deal!"

You can tell a man's true convictions by where he puts his hard earned cash...

Charles: "Awe that's great you feel that way Jimmy. Seeing as we are BFFs and your sneakers are held together by fish twine and duct tape, I thought it a great idea if we get a matching pair to sport when we go out on the town. Wouldn't that be just swell Jimmy?"

Now if Jimmy coughs up the $8.27 for a pair of neon green loafers, he meant what he said. If he holds back, he was simply putting verbal garbage through the airwaves of life using the art of pacification.

Put your money where your mouth is, pimp.

SO NOW IT'S TIME

SIDE-NOTE: these items have time lines and plans of action for accomplishment. For the sake of your sanity and my own desire not to divulge the insanity of my life, I'll keep those details out. These are not necessarily in chronological order. The list will continue to expand and grow as life happens.

Item #1: Purchase the car of my dreams
Item #2: Six pack abs
Item #3: Sky dive
Item #4: Eat an entire box of Krispy Kream Donuts in one sitting (I'll accomplish this goal in conjunction with #2 while on the plane ride to the jump point)
Item #5: Marry my best friend for time and all eternity. MVB ;-)
Item #6 Write a book about my experiences
Item #7: Sell most of my possessions and move to a Caribbean locale for a few years
Item #8: Take my immediate family on a vacation
Item #9: Live in a tree house (possibly in the Caribbean)
Item #10: Spend two years of my life in the total service of others
Item #11: Perform 100 consecutive push-ups
Item #12: Create a successful start-up company
Item #13: Get a pilots license
Item #14: Provide the seed money for a start-up company
Item #15: Learn fluent Spanish
Item #16: Bring joy to others through my line of work

ITEM #1... CHECK

Three weeks ago:

I knew I would be resigning from my current position

There is a few days before turning in the company vehicle

A new position/career has NOT been established

I did the most sensationally irresponsible thing anyone in my position could do...

I attacked a bucket list item and purchased the car of my dreams:






I am determined.

ITEM #1: PURCHASE THE CAR OF MY DREAMS

This week I was offered a stellar position with a new firm that will fulfill Item #16.

Thanks for tuning in. Please subscribe if you enjoy my posts and comment if you are curious on how I plan on accomplishing any of the above mentioned items. I'll share if you ask nice.

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OOPS...YOU'RE ENTITLED? ...OOPS

PREFACE : I started this entry a lil bit ago. I've recently committed myself to weekly updates. I'll start by completing this entry. Enjoy and Happy Fathers Day.

Believing Was Your First Mistake

It was easy back then. Your creators telling you how great you are. Filling your mind with world conquering thoughts. Sure this is their responsibilitiy. Not denying you that third slice of artery blocking, calorie multiplying, gut busting double fudge layer cake is where they went wrong. Which in turn began the creation of an "entitled" oversized monster that would continue to grow with each spoiling "yes."

Allowing Is Our First Mistake

When did it all begin? When did it become ok and culturally accepted? When did we, the masses, give you, the entitled cake eating monster the ability to elevate to a higher social class of rude entitlement? Does having $75,000 in student loan debt and a couple funny letters added to the arse of your name grant privilege? Perhaps it did and the shift of acceptance started, in your mind, to tip in your favor.

Entitlement Backfire!

Ha, the look on your face. A goose flying against the rest of the geese. Shove it!

Hey Yo Paulie D, What's Da Situation?

My second acupuncture visit. Scheduled for 4:00 pm. Left work early, arrived at 3:50, signed in and chilled to the melodic and hypnotic trance music you force upon your sheep.

At 4:15ish you invite me into one of your waiting rooms like your doing me the favor. At 4:25, after I've waited almost a half hour after my scheduled appointment time, I gather my belongings and make my exit.

"Mr. Bra-chess, where are you going," inquired the office admin/secretary/accountant/hr manager/mail room clerk/cd selection expert.

I responded in a warm but firm tone, "my appointment was for 4pm. It's now almost 4:30 and I do not share the same convenience of relaxed scheduling."

Was it harsh, maybe. Was it true, most definitely. Caleb had practice at 6 which gave me less than an hour and a half to get home across Princeton and through the Washington Circle during rush hour, get him fed and then to practice on the other side of town.

If I mellowed out till the doctor found the time to fit me into her schedule, smiled when she walked in like I was one of the grateful sheep, and went on like all was normal, Not only would I have been late in fulfilling my obligations to Caleb, but I would have told her that the funny acronym at the end of her name and her student loan debt entitled her to this inexcusable yet frequent behavior.

Screw the social norm. I'm in favor of shock and awe that just might lead to change.