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Reflections January 2014

We All Have a ‘Bucket List’

By Jim Cotsana

When I was much younger I always yearned to fly fish in Idaho, Montana, and New Zealand. I can now check all three off my list. Nowadays, I’ve had my fill of airplanes and only travel if I absolutely have to. I like staying put in my small New England town and adding local activities to my list.

At dinner one evening with several of my old high school friends, one of them mentioned he recently took his elderly father for a drive in the mountains in northern New Hampshire. His father wanted to spend a little time visiting a lodge he and his wife, who died several years ago, spent a weekend when they were much younger. As my friend and his father talked during the drive, it became clear this visit to the lodge was on his father’s “bucket list.”

Although I’ve never given this much thought, it did get me thinking about a bucket list of my own. At 65 and retired, with the expectation of having a number of years left to go, I thought it would be kind of fun to make a list of the things I’ve done and places I’ve been. I wanted to see if there was anything missing that I had a burning desire to see or accomplish.

In the 11th grade at the local high school, I was in my third year of Latin – and the only reason I took Latin because it was the thing to do back then. One day our teacher, with a straight face, told us that when we get to Rome we have to visit the Coliseum and a number of other historical places we only read about. Many of us laughed since we would be lucky to get out of New England. Traveling to Europe was a pipe dream at best. Most of us have never even been on a train, never mind a plane. However, she knew what we were thinking and stated that some of us will indeed get to travel and see and experience what we only think and talk about now. Of course, I suspect not many of us really believed this and felt she was just trying to make us feel good.

With this as my starting point, I began to make a list of things I’ve seen, places I’ve been, and things I’ve accomplished. I was rather amazed as my list grew.

I did get out of New England when I attended a small college in the Midwest and, to the surprise of many, I even graduated on time. Shortly after graduation, I joined the Marine Corps and was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant and did a tour in Vietnam. Upon my release from the military, I married my college sweetheart (this would have been on my list) and attended graduate school and was working towards my PhD with the intent of teaching at a college or university (another entry on my list). However, my studies were cut short when I joined the Central Intelligence Agency.

During my 26 years with the Agency I lived in several countries and traveled to a number of others; a total of 84. For example, among some of the more notable destinations, I saw the pyramids in Egypt, the Parthenon in Athens, had fabulous meals in Paris after going to the top of the Eiffel Tower. I toured the Taj Mahal, viewed the Kremlin, and the border town of Panmunjom between North and South Korea. And not to be left out, I fondly remembered my high school Latin teacher as I visited Rome, explored the Coliseum and stood on the Apian Way. I guess she was right even though I never believed her at the time.

I’ll be the first to admit I was very lucky to have a career that allowed me to travel extensively and take full advantage of the diverse sights, sounds, smells, and local cuisine (some of which had a momentous impact on my gastro-intestinal tract). To be perfectly honest, most of these exotic landmarks and destinations would not have been on my original bucket list. They just happened to be there as I made my list. However, when I was much younger I always yearned to fly fish in Idaho, Montana, and New Zealand. I can now check all three off my list. Nowadays, I’ve had my fill of airplanes and only travel if I absolutely have to. I like staying put in my small New England town and adding local activities to my list. For example, with respect to teaching, I am lecturing at a small college in my hometown, am a volunteer at the local hospice house as well as being a member of the development committee with the city’s SPCA, something I’ve always been most passionate about.

We baby boomers can look back on our lives and come up with a list of our own. Keep in mind that the list does not have to include exotic destinations or unusual or glamorous activities. They can be things you never thought you would do or see and goals you may have aspired to. I suspect you’ll be amazed at the things you’ve already accomplished and experienced without giving them much thought. Then add things such as places you’ve had a burning desire to visit, become involved with and maybe a project or hobby you’ve been putting off.

Give it a try and see what you what you might come up with. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

 

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