I was reading an article the other day about living your life to the fullest. It was geared towards middle aged people, but it still hit home for me. Here is a link to the article although it is not required reading to appreciate this post. https://www.marcandangel.com/2023/03/14/4-little-things-that-will-matter-a-lot-more-to-you-in-40-years/

I suppose the information is even more pertinent to me because I likely have less years left than the average middle-aged person. I still feel young and do the activities I have always done. I don’t have many aches and pains compared to what I hear from others. (Except for that knee I hurt a few years ago and it is mostly an occasional inconvenience.) But still. I am 60 years old. It is a biological fact that I have less years remaining ahead of me than I have already lived. Looking back, 20 years does not seem that long ago. Looking forward, that will put me at 80 years old. I must decide what is still important to me and do it now. This is the time to do the things that I think will make me happy and make a difference in the world. With longer life spans, I may well live past 80, but I need to at least get started with those things I still want to accomplish. There is no time like NOW! to take action.

I retired three years ago, and a few months before leaving my job, I made a Retirement Bucket List that I printed and framed. I wanted a plan for my path forward. Something concrete, to keep me moving. I have been less successful than I had hoped but some of this is due to the Covid pandemic.

And I have been successful on some of the items. The blog goal could be considered either way. I have 477 subscribers but earn no money from it. The most successful item on the list is number 7. We hike nearly every day that it doesn’t rain. We have covered hundreds of miles and seen many beautiful things that nature has to offer. This also leaves us with relatively well-behaved dogs! Because a tired dog is a good dog.

Other items are more of a work in progress. I am moving forward at a snail’s pace. I continue my dog rescue work. Not on the level that I had hoped to achieve, but I am still contributing and helping to save lives. Saving and improving lives must always be counted as a win. I started writing a book. Multiple books. I have chapters of different sorts saved on my computer. Still, they are something to work with.

Other items on the list, I have been less successful with. This tells me that it is time to re-evaluate and possibly make a new list. Some items I need to take a more in depth look at and maybe interpret them in a different way. The time may have passed for other things I wanted to do. I look at the dream of having a pit bull and think that I may be getting too old for this one. These are powerful dogs and I’m just not sure I have the strength to handle it anymore. Especially given the fact that I still intend to have multiple dogs and will be walking multiple dogs at the same time. There are still plenty of other deserving dogs out there who deserve a good home and would make me equally happy. We may downsize our pack a little. I think I could be happy with four dogs. Actually, it’s never that I wanted six or more dogs. There were just always dogs in need, and I was happy to have them around. Not everyone is cut out to take on some of the nutcases (and I say nutcases in the most loving way) we have adopted. Dan asked me recently if I liked having a dog as demanding as Zekie the Wonder Dog. I told him, it’s not that I want dogs with these types of issues, I consider it the price I pay because I love them. For the record, Dan loves him too. He and Dan are fast companions.

So, in the hopefully not too distant future, I may have an updated Retirment Bucket List to share with you. I’ve always heard that if you share your goals with someone, you are more likely to achieve them because you will feel accountable.

Do any of you have bucket lists? Bucket lists can make a difference in your world and possibly the world of others. And if you don’t have, or want, a bucket list, remember, you can make a difference just by being kind.