In one week, I will turn 50. That's a tough number because I'm realizing that more of my life is behind me than ahead of me - that is, unless Willard Scott has plans on showing my picture on the Today Show in 2063.I've known this was coming for some time now and, in preparation, I've given a lot of reflection and thought to a "bucket list" - a list of those things that I'd like to do before it's too late. So here goes - 15 items in no particular order.
1. Get to my Weight Watchers goal weight and maintain it. Four years ago, I almost checked out of life thanks to sleep apnea, breathing in my CO2, stopping breathing, turning blue, etc. A scary moment for Sue, for sure. I've lost 50 pounds already - enough to cure me of sleep apnea, but I still have about 35 more to go - to get to goal weight and optimal health. Who knows, maybe I can live to 100?
2. Move back East. That's where family is.
3. Take Sue to Carmel, California and finish some unfinished business on the beach at sunset. No, not that kind of unfinished business! I could have kissed her on the beach in 1991 and I didn't. We were just friends, then, so it did not seem appropriate.
4. Attend a McGovern family reunion. Most of my extended family is in New York, and it has been years since I've seen some of them. I've got second cousins (if that's the correct term for the children of my first cousins) who I've never met. I recently spent some time going through and organizing years of family slides, and that's made me miss aunts, uncles, cousins, etc.
5. Return to Hawaii and see where I was born.
6. Visit the Vatican. I'd also like to get one of those Papal blessing certificates. That would have been a cool thing for my 50th birthday, especially from our new Holy Father.
7. Attend a Barry Manilow concert - and meet him, if possible. I had some issues as a teenager, and his music helped me through a lot of it. He's actually on a tour around the U.S. right now, but he's not coming to Memphis or anywhere nearby. Ironically, he'll be performing in Baltimore on my 50th birthday! Wish I'd have known that sooner!
8. Visit every Hard Rock Cafe in the United States. I've been to about 40 of them in the U.S., as well as Tijuana, Mexico and Nassau, Bahamas. I'm not sure how many there are left, but there are quite a few to go.
9. Go muddin' with my brother-in-law, Phil. Years ago, Phil and I went four-wheeling through my Dad's place in West Virginia and it was a blast! I want to do it again - but this time at the Redneck Resort (Google it) in east Tennessee. The muddier, the better! Phil, when you get that muddin truck, let me know!
10. Go riding with my brother, Tom. Yep, going into the Harley stores and getting those pins for Tommy all these years has made me think how cool it might be to try out a motorcyle.
11. Drive from Miami, Florida to Key West - and back. But stretch it out over several days or a week.
12. Get rid of clutter.
13. Forgive someone who wronged me when I was a child - in a Jerry Sandusky kind of way. I was actually able to do that last year, thanks to the Jerry Sandusky trial forcing me to confront this issue after so many years. In fact, a few weeks ago, my brother and I were able to laugh about it. Tommy, you have no idea how good that made me feel, and how it helped me to realize that, in my heart, I have been able to find forgiveness for that person.
14. Save the life of another person. I've actually been able to check this one off too. I signed the organ donor section of my driver's license. And Sue knows that if something happens to me, she's to have them put my liver on ice in case one of my family members needs it.
15. Practice humility. I suppose that putting your bucket list online is not the best way to start this one, but I've been working on it. It's refreshing!
