The Bucket List
Movies, like books have the power to shift something in your head – something which is already there, deep down, hidden is some corner of your overworked brain, something which your soul really yearns to do, but has forgotten in the rigmarole of the daily grind.
I always judge a book or a movie by the impact it has on my mind. A good book or a good movie is the one which stays with you, long after you are done with it. Like the individualistic trait of Howard Roark from “The Fountainhead”, or the vulnerability of Sartaj Singh in “Sacred Games” or the undying love in the movie “The Notebook” or the coming of age story about a girl who goes on a solo honeymoon after being dumped by her husband-to—be in “Queen”.
One such movie which struck a chord in my heart is “The Bucket List”. It’s a beautiful story about two men – a billionaire hospital magnate Edward Cole, and a bluecollar mechanic Carter Chambers – sharing a hospital room. The only commonality between the two is that they are fighting a terminal illness and have been told that they are going to die in the next few months. My first thoughts while watching this movie were that how sad it would be to know that you’ll no longer be there till the next autumn. But on second thoughts, I pondered how lucky are those people who get a chance to know that they still have some time before they bid adieu to this world! It would be so liberating to know that you still have some time to do things you have always wanted to do, things which you had left for “some other day”. After all, death does not come with a notice period for most of us.
Edward and Carter decide not to succumb to the conventional path of self- pity or denial. On the contrary, they decide to take charge of their lives and set on a mission to knock off the things on their bucket lists. Indeed, they end up doing most of the things on their bucket lists, except visiting the base camp of Mt. Everest, due to unfavorable weather conditions.
While watching this movie, it struck me - Don’t we all have our secret bucket lists? Most of us may have it etched in our hearts, while some of us may have it scribbled on a piece of paper, safely tucked away in a secret pocket in our wallet. I belong to the latter category. I’ve always had my Bucket List – my wishlist of “Things to do before I die” in my secret diary which was gifted to me by my sister. After watching this movie, I realized that everytime I visit my Bucket list is to add one more wish, seldom do I visit it to knock off one of the things to do from the list. The obvious reason (read excuse) was that I have things which are higher on priority right now – my studies, my work, my family and so on. But do I really have all the time I assume? Will I live my life the same way if I were told that I only had a year to live? Should I take my wishes for granted and leave it to “some other day”? These questions set me thinking, and I decided that I will create opportunities to do things I really want to do.
In the last few years, I’ve managed to knock off a few things from my bucket list – like learning Kathak, Skydiving, getting a tattoo and enrolling for creative writing (which will help me write a book “someday”). I am yet to strike off a few others like – Go Scuba Diving, write a book, visit Kolkata during Durga Puja, and the list goes on. It gives me immense gratification to know that I have the power to turn my wishes into reality.
In the movie Carter dies soon after returning from the sojourn he had set on to fulfill his desires. But in reality, death can come anytime, without giving us sufficient notice. So, live each day to the fullest and do things which make your soul happy. Afterall, life is not about reaching the destination - road leading to the deathbed, with regrets of not having lived your dreams. Life is about the journey, which should be celebrated each day and exploited to its core, so that when you finally reach the deathbed, you would feel “It was a hell of a ride!”
A few lines to sum it up…..
Life may not be all that long…..
Dance in the rain, and sing a song!
Years gone by may seem like a blink...
Time will fly, before you can think….
So seize the beast called life, by its head…..
Each day, before your day to deathbed….
When death come’s calling, you can say it with pride….
Whoa! My life has been such a joyride!
#Creativewriting
#mytrystwithwords
