Sunday Morning Reflections - Bucket List?

I have several friends who bring up their bucket list from time to time. The movie certainly made the idea of a list of adventures before you die popular. My parents had such a list. They managed to snowbird a couple winters before Dad died. And my sister and I took Mom to Cozumel and Toronto (twice), and out to eat at a Chinese restaurant before she died.

I was on one of those career paths mandated for my generation at the time I became an orphan. My redneck period my friends called it. I even owned my own bowling ball. I dressed for success with a nod to wilder than accepted earrings. I considered the blazer and blouse my costume and the earrings my bit of rebellion. The bowling ball was a prescription for perfectionism mandated by a psychologist I was going to for bulimia. I no long want to return to 103. And I no longer bowl after I broke 100 once or twice.

Before the redneck period I had been a lobbyist in Washington, DC (for would you believe? The American Council of Churches), an organizer for a conference against defense spending, had my phone tapped by Nixon and his cronies, had an FBI file, been down the Colorado River twice on a raft, joined the Sierra Club, toured with the USO as a belly dancer, etc. Before, during and after the Red Neck period I added to my list of states lived in and visited, took flying lessons. Before and after I worked as a ski instructor, raised llamas, hiked Canyonlands, floated Lake Powell in a house boat, had a stalker or two . . . The list goes on. Enough for two or three buckets.

For the longest time the item which remained on the list of things to do was go back to Italy. I was there as a toddler. Australia was briefly on The List until I found out how many poisonous animals were on their list, and that the parts I really wanted to see looked a lot like Utah which could be visited without four days of flying. Peru and Macho Pichu remained an objective until I found out about the littering problem. Who wants to pay that much money to look at ancient rocks covered with energy bar wrappers.

I used to like to fly commercial but 9/11 ruined that. Why should I voluntarily give myself over to privacy invasion just to go from point A to point B, when driving is so much more fun. No, not the interstates. My sister introduced me to the joys of off road travel. And the fur kids can come.

A close friend is getting a condo in Florida to spend winters away from the snows of New Mexico. She wants me to come down and share it with her some. My stomach went into total revolt when she asked. She does not understand my heart felt NO. Cheek to jowl with humans? Crammed into a flying sardine can after worse treatment than arrested drunks? Heat and humidity? Aerosprayed poisons to kill bats and bugs and humans? I go out of my way to eat organic food and yet I am going to volunteer for that?

I have found paradise. And those things which are on my list currently are pretty close to home. I want to spend a week at Monument Valley and Natural Bridges. Oddly I think it might be fun to spend some time on a dinosaur dig in Utah. I toy at times with completing the great American novel or self publishing a book of poetry with my paintings and photographs. None of that requires me leaving my comfort zone.

If there is a bucket list it has a green house and a camping trailer on it. Would love to be able to stucco my house. I came to the realization I am the perfect reverse mortgage applicant. And a very good pet sitter.