The Bucket List

So after watching the movie The Bucket List for the 3rd time, I decided I wanted to attempt to write my very own Bucket List...you know, things I want to do before I "kick the bucket" (I was also a little inspired by a friend who did the same thing on her quarterlife profile, to be honest). It has taken me awhile to actually think about the things I want to put on this list. At first, I came up with tons of materialistic things...like "win the lottery," then I realized...though that would make me happy for a short amount of time, it wouldn't make me feel like I did any good in the world...I'd just be another person who spends way too much money on stupid things.

A quote from the movie actually inspired me also:

“You know, the ancient Egyptians had a beautiful belief about death. When their souls got to the entrance to heaven, the guards asked two questions. Their answers determined whether they were able to enter or not. ‘Have you found joy in your life?’ 'Has your life brought joy to others?’”
--Morgan Freeman's character Carter Chambers

That last question really got me thinking. Has my life brought joy to anyone? Will my life ever bring joy to others? As I sat down to write my Bucket List, I decided I needed to include some things in there that would (hopefully) bring joy to a person's life other than my own. These things that I have decided to accomplish before I kick the bucket may bring me some self-satisfaction on some level, but really, I hope to whatever's up above that I help at least ONE person in my life. That's all I can hope for, really.

I present to you my Bucket List:

1. Make enough money to live comfortably and not worry about becoming behind on bills or etc like my family has for the past 21 years of my life

2. Help my mom and stepdad buy a house that they can own for the rest of their lives

3. Adopt a child or two from the US (sorry, I don't mean to sound rude or offend anyone...but there are kids in our own country that need a family...how about we help them before we go adopting kids from third world countries...I know they need help too...but I want to help my nation's forgotten children before I run off being Madonna...)

4. Be a foster parent to as many children as I can (again from the US...sorry...I know that probably sounds terrible, but these are my beliefs)

5. Donate enough money to the Animal Protector's shelter in my area so that they can purchase a larger piece of land that is away from a major road...and build a much bigger shelter (seriously, the condition of my local shelter is disgusting...I worked there for a summer and was saddened everyday to walk into the cat room...which was far too small for all the cats we had...and the fact that we are right next to a major road scares me...that an animal could be hurt or killed if they escaped the small fenced in yard or slipped from their leash while being walked by a volunteer...it absolutely terrifies me, honestly)

6. Make someone smile when they're feeling sad...even if what is causing them to be sad might seem trivial and small to me...because to them, it is obviously much more than that

7. Become a high school guidance counselor and be good at what I do

8. Help an elderly person cross the street (I know this sounds ridiculous...but after reading a story about a 78 year old man that was hit while crossing the street...and people just kind of stared at him...and no one helped him...it scares me. I learned about the "bystander effect" in psych, of course, but it scares me that people would just STAND THERE while a man was lying in the street bleeding. I can only hope that if I had been there, I would have had enough sense to help him...regardless of his condition)

9. Let my mom know just how much she means to me...and that I appreciate all she's done for me...especially through my "emo years" (as I like to call them).

10. Let my stepdad know that he means just as much to me as my mom does...he's been the only decent and stable father figure in my life...and I could never thank him enough for being there for me...even though I sometimes didn't deserve it

11. Record a demo and have people around the world hear my song (and I'm picky I want the song to touch people...not just be repetitive and catchy)

12. Donate money to help build a homeless shelter somewhere in my area (though I've never seen a homeless person in my area...there are probably some people that are not lucky enough to have permanent shelter for one reason or another. And I want this shelter to help people, not just strip them of their belongings and enforce strict rules on them...I want them to feel comfortable...I want them to WANT to come...not be afraid of losing the last bit of control they have on their lives...)

13. Live in NYC or the surrounding area

14. Work in an inner-city school (I think that would give me a new perspective on life...and a heavy dose of reality...which I could probably use)

15. Travel to all 50 states (I've already been to 13...only 37 to go)

16. Ride a moped on the Great Wall of China

17. Ride a plane (the destination isn't important...I just want the experience so I can say I did it)

18. Go on a family vacation to the beach

19. Get a tattoo to symbolize the four most important people in my life: my mom, my Aunt Sandy, my Grandma Carney, and my stepdad

20. See all the Harry Potter movies so I can understand the craze surrounding them

21. Finish the Twilight Series by Stephanie Meyer (yes, the series is THAT amazing)

22. Get an award at the Honor's Convocation at SHU (since the 2 smartest people in the psych department have graduated, I might have a chance in the last two semesters of my career at SHU)

23. Get accepted to grad school

24. Find my significant other

25. Get married and have my stepdad walk me down the aisle

26. Develop a healthier lifestyle so I can be there when my children start their own lives...and so I can spoil my grandchildren

27. Meet Lance Bass and tell him how proud I am of him for coming out and not being afraid of who he truly is

28. Get in touch with the remaining members of my mom's side of the family

29. Be a better friend to my current and future friends...and stay in touch with them no matter how many miles separate us

30. See the Grand Canyon

31. See the aurora borealis wherever it may be visible at the time

32. Learn a little bit of a few languages so that I can have a decent conversation with someone in their native language...which may make them feel more comfortable in certain situations

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And that's all I can think of at the moment....I'll probably add more as I think of them...but I think 32's a pretty darn good start