Before kids, I worked hard and played hard.
I traveled far, furthered my education, read fiction books for fun and treated myself occasionally on a whim.
I had time, money and energy.
I cannot begin to fathom a time when I had space in my brain to ponder my very own BUCKET LIST. A “bucket list” I tell you! Clearly I must have been playing around with this list in my single hey days of my mid 20’s. Now I’m excited if the toddler’s vomit makes it in the bucket, and my list extends to the groceries and jobs that should have been done last week.
Here are some of those delightful Bucket List items that I once held dear, and how I would perhaps consider them today.
1. RUN A MARATHON
I really imagined I would have run a marathon by the age of 40, or a half one at the very least! Despite never being a runner, never enjoying running and never planning towards it, this just seemed like one of those things that would magically happen. Besides; 40 was sooooo far away! By that time, surely, I would be one of those skinny, organised, driven, healthy-eating Mummies. I would be consumed by running and health and meditation ; possibly a yoga instructor, even…too much? Now…well…I am running…’running’ to the supermarket, ‘running’ the kids to classes and ‘running’ myself ragged. Definite TICK to this one.
2. TRAVEL TO SEE THE GRAND CANYON
But why? Just seemed like one of those things you’re expected to write down, I guess. Don’t get me wrong. I am sure it is breathtaking. But right now? The thought of traveling all the way to North America to visit a giant hole makes me want to laugh. I have a giant hole in my life every day. In it, disappears socks, keys, watches, remote controls, favourite toys and very often, my sanity. So…well…TICK.
3. DRINK CHAMPAGNE AT THE EIFFEL TOWER
Wait!! I did this!!! Sure it seems like a lifetime ago, but I did this AND ate dirty snails…well one…and I didn’t chew it, I just scoffed it down and washed it away with a giant swig of classy bubbles, but whatever. But now? Now I would be happy with drinking cheap prosecco from my balcony. There are rails, there is a view (debatable). There are bubbles. Sometimes a cheeky snail even appears on the potted plants. Same same but different. TICK.
4. SKY DIVE
What was I thinking? Again, I think I just rolled with the tide of popular opinion, here. I could never, NEVER do this. Now I have kids; real little people that I am responsible for, there is even less of a chance that I would jump off a ledge into the abyss, rope or not. But wait, jumping off a ledge into the unknown? Maybe I kinda have actually done this one. Sounds like the moment I discovered I was pregnant, really. I held my husband’s hand, closed my eyes…and jumped. I’m going to pay that one. TICK.
5. LEARN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE
Apart from learning the basics in a few countries when travelling (you know; how to order a white wine and say thanks), I never quite officially managed this. Although, they do say you learn to understand your baby’s cries and I tried really hard at this. I am quite the puppet ventriloquist when I have the energy (and…well.., the kids seem to like it) and I declare that I am also fairly fluent in ‘toddler whining’. I am scoring myself a giant TICK for this one.
It may seem perhaps a little different from what I once had in mind, but I am proud to say I have achieved things I never imagined possible; things that never even made the bucket list of that young, dreamy, whipper-snapper that I once was.
And FYI? 40(+)years old is the new 30 and that bucket list is completely subject to change…
Watch this space.
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