Chapter 1: The Essence of Bucket Lists

Ah, the bucket list—an intriguing concept that resonates differently with everyone. I have friends who have wholeheartedly pursued their dreams, some even achieving remarkable feats. One friend, for example, flew across the Atlantic on the Concorde just before its retirement. This was after he had traveled around the globe, cruised the Nile, explored both poles, and summited Mt. Kilimanjaro. It certainly helps to have a career in investment banking!

As for me, my approach to bucket lists is more varied. At times, it resembled a wheelbarrow filled with rejection letters, a golf bag brimming with fitness aspirations, a colander overflowing with hopeful dreams, and a travel diary caught in a helium balloon's escape. Presently, however, my bucket feels more like a thimble.

This is a common experience as one reaches an advanced age, which I have. Ultimately, the thimble only needs to contain the desire to "Wake Up Tomorrow" and not much else. That said, it doesn't mean I disregard everything that has spilled from my previous buckets. The thimble list simply leans more toward reality and introspection. This is why @RobinJames’ prompt #57 brought joy to this nonagenarian.

Since I began my writing journey (we're talking The Richmond Times-Dispatch, 1953), my Wheelbarrow Bucket has always been paramount. It houses my literary ambitions: to earn a modest award, publish a book that generates income, and write something I can be proud of, unlike the dreadful piece that did well. I aimed to contribute to significant causes and publish a few letters in the New York Times.

Let's bypass the rejection slips for now. Nevertheless, the Wheelbarrow List shines with moments of reflection. I once received a newspaper association award for a series titled "The Well Person's Mental Illness," which delved into issues like depression, anxiety, and sleep deprivation. When I accepted the award, I humorously shared that my research began with my own experiences of these conditions. The terrible book I mentioned? It was a corporate biography so embarrassingly written that only the CEO ever read it. Not even Google could uncover it now!

The causes I wrote about remain my favorite pursuits. At cocktail parties, when people ask, "Oh, you're a writer? What do you write?" I smile and reply, "I focus a lot on death, dying, and abortion." This tends to clear the room, giving me plenty of time to write.

Interestingly, Google can still find my books, even if "Dying Unafraid" (Synergistic Press, 1999) is out of print. When I pitched "Perilous Times: An Inside Look at Abortion Before—and After—Roe v. Wade" in 2010, my agent famously remarked, "Oh, nobody's interested in abortion anymore." She really said that!

However, the letters I penned to the Times turned into my favorite story. A retired lawyer friend from Brooklyn used to compete with me for those publications. Once, while fact-checking a letter with the Times Letters editor, he mentioned needing to stay ahead of me. "Oh, Fran," she reportedly replied, "she's one of our regulars." If I weren’t planning for cremation, that would definitely be etched on my tombstone.

The major milestones in my Wheelbarrow included earning an MFA in Short Fiction and publishing my short story collection, which were initially meant to be the focus of this essay. However, Medium's @ZulieRane recently diverted my attention with a writing prompt that led me to share those Wheelbarrow stories on The Memoirist.

As for my other buckets? I previously wrote about running a marathon at 72 on Crow's Feet, and my travel diary balloon-bucket recently took me to Morocco, just months before the earthquake devastated our lovely B&B. So, yes, the buckets still exist, and occasionally, a new goal emerges, or an old one resurfaces.

I believe that's what we call life. Here's to living it, bucket by bucket.

In the first video, "How to Live a Good Life – The Simple '3 Bucket' System" by Jonathan Fields, viewers are introduced to a practical framework for achieving life goals through the lens of bucket lists.

Chapter 2: Embracing Slow Living

In today's fast-paced world, embracing the art of slow living can be a transformative experience.

The second video, "10 Relaxing Ways To Enjoy Summer Slow Living Bucket List," offers ten delightful suggestions for savoring the warmth and leisure of summer, encouraging viewers to create their own slow-living bucket list.