Bucket List

"Take out a sheet of paper and write down 25 things you want to do before you die."

My classroom full of high school seniors looked at me quizzically. Some began to write furiously, filling the page then turning it over for more space. Others moaned, got out their pens, and reluctantly began to scribble something down--just to complete the assignment for "Old Lady Raatjes".

Then there were students, mostly boys I'm afraid, who stared at me like I was from another planet. They had no idea what to write until I prodded them with questions or ideas. I felt sad they couldn't conjure up a list to complete this simple assignment.

• Had they never dreamed?
• Had no one ever challenged them to ponder their future?

It was a ditzy little assignment meant to jump start the students into a study of the John Keats' poem, When I Have Fears that I May Cease to Live. British poetry was not their first love, and so I did everything I could think of to make it relate to them. That's where this assignment came in.

John Keats was a young poet who knew he would probably die young. He did at age 26 from tuberculosis--the disease that had taken his mother and brother. He was engaged to the girl next door. In his poem he laments not fulfilling his love for her and not being able to write down all the poems swarming in his brain. (I get that last thought: I have so many unwritten manuscripts in my head I need to live to 120 to complete them all!)

The movie, Bucket List, with Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson, gave credence to my own list of 25 things which I created years ago, long before the movie came out.

Bottom line:

• What's on your Bucket List?
• Do you have one?
• Writing down dreams/goals makes it more likely you will accomplish them.

Assignment (you knew this was coming):

Before the day is over, create a list of 25 things you'd like to do in your future.

One of the items on my list was to write a novel. Happily, this past year I published Route to Survival. (For more info on the book, click here to go to my website.)

So you see, dreams/goals can be realized. Do it and have fun!