The following is a repost of a "note" that I posted on Facebook in 2008. I am reposting here so I actually can read it in the future. Not that Facebook will disappear before Blogspot, but yeah. It probably will....
A friend recently asked me what's on my bucket list. I am familiar with the term, and the movie. I watched it on a recent flight to somewhere. I have no idea where and when as they all tend to run together. I thought about this for a while and could not answer the question with anything as grandiose as climbing Mt Everest (I'd die before I reached the top) or seeing the ancient pyramids.
The "travel here" and "see this" thing is just not something I tend to put extreme importance on. In the past two years I've been fortunate to travel to some pretty cool places and see some pretty cool things. If five years ago you would have told me I'd be standing in the Forbidden City, or on top of Barcelona Cathedral I would have assumed you were experiencing better living through chemistry. But then five years ago I also had a burning desire to travel to Hawaii. Today, not so much.
Understand that I do enjoy traveling. Especially to countries, cities, etc. I have not previously visited. Being a photography buff, I also enjoy shooting photos of my travels. Someday I really want to visit Israel and check out the Holy Land sites. I would also love to take my family and experience Europe from the Renaissance era. And don’t get me wrong. I would not pass up an opportunity to play golf in Maui or catamaran around Oahu. But today I realize that the best memories I have of the places I have visited revolve around the people I have met.
In June I traveled to Russia where I met my good friend and colleague, Ilya Solovev. Ilya took me on a tour of Moscow, including the Kremlin and Red Square. We saw what I consider some amazing sights, and I got some great photos on that trip. But it was the friendship with Ilya that formed during that trip that I value the most. Similarly, in Japan I was fortunate to visit ground zero in Nagasaki and try some sushi that consisted of an animal I cannot put in print lest I risk alienating my animal-loving youngest daughter. Hiroaki (Hiro) Hara was an amazing host during that visit. He kept me calm as I experienced my first earthquake on the top floor of the hotel. I consider Hiro a good friend, and look forward to seeing him again soon. The same goes for Hanbin and Teng in Shanghai, Kwan and SooJung in Seoul, Joanne and Arlene in Manila, and Rainer, Jens, and Juan David in Europe. This is very clear to me now. I could theoretically travel anywhere, and see anything, but to me it is the people that define the experience.
So back to the bucket list. From the film I think I can more easily relate to the "softer" items. Things like:
- Witness something truly majestic
- Help a complete stranger for a common good
- Laugh till I cry
- Kiss the most beautiful girl in the world
These are types of things I want to do before I die. (I have already done the last one. When I convinced her to marry me I knew I was destined for a life in sales.) I tend to favor things like "see a smile in the eyes of a child that once held hopelessness and despair." I'd put that on my list, but I have no idea where to start on making it a reality. I'll keep working on it.
So that being said, here is the beginning of my bucket list (in no particular order):
1. Build a house for Habitat for Humanity.
2. Surprise someone in need with a meaningful, anonymous contribution.
3. Serve a meal at a homeless shelter.
4. See my children develop a passion for life that exceeds mine.
5. Make a difference in someone's life. I mean truly make a difference. So much so that I likely will never know about it.
