The Bullet List

Yesterday was my son Jeremy’s birthday and we were sitting on the back deck and the subject of the bucket list came up. What are those things that you want to do before you die?

In typical Jeremy and Marie fashion, the question was immediately flipped and became what are the things that you’ve already done and been thrown in the bucket. What is an anti-bucket?

After a bit of doing back and forth Marie suggested the Bullet list because we’ve already pulled the trigger on these things?

My daughter-in-law is brilliant!

If you are going to have a bucket list it needs to be balanced by the things that you have already accomplished. So in no particular order, here is my bullet list.

Talking Bill Berry (not the former drummer for R.E.M. but the other one) to disrupt his schedule in Prague and jump on a Polish train with me to go to Krakow so that we could make our way to Auschwitz, the former Nazi Concentration camp. It was a snowy February day and we made our way across the camp in silence. In the back I found a lit Jewish prayer candle that was little more than a wick floating in wax. Beside it was an unlit candle. So I lit it and it was the holiest that I have ever felt in my life.

Running with the Olympic Torch in 1996 down Bay Street to before a screaming and cheering crowd. Chelsea held a sign that said “I love you Daddy” and Jodee Sadowski held one that said “Run Forrest Run!”

Becoming a “Community Health Leader” through the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. I received a $100,000 prize that I gave to Union Mission and the awards ceremony was held at the National Press Club in Washington D.C. It was an incredible night and out of it I met these incredible people from across the nation, who are doing incredible things and deep friendships were born. (One of these friends was yelling at me last night. Weren’t you Jim Withers?)

Being in Berlin, Germany with Bill Berry (you know which one) in the middle of the night and stopping in a McDonalds to use the restroom. When I came out, my vegetarian and drunk friend had just ordered a fish sandwich with cheese. I screamed “NO!” and went running for him. I tackled him and we tumbled to the floor while Germans just stepped aside. Bill and I ended up in a ball in the middle of the floor but he still held on the fish sandwich with cheese. Our eyes locked and he took a bite. “Crazy Americans,” someone said. We busted out laughing on the floor.

Spending a night in Athens, Georgia with Jeremy and a collection of Irish Catholic friends from Savannah. Meaning we got drunk. But did we have one hell of a good time that night. And after months of hurting and crying, healing began in my life with them.

Taking Chelsea scuba diving in the Florida Keys and the moment we tumbled into the crystal clear water she landed on top of a six foot shark. She was petrified and she scared the shark to death. Who knew the girl could move so fast? I laughed until I almost drowned.

Being in the stands during a St. Vincent’s basketball game watching my flu sick daughter Kristen trying to play basketball against the state champions. The ball was stolen from her twice in the first two minutes of the game and Sister Pat called time out and dressed her down in front of a packed gym. The second time this happened, a sweaty, red-faced, beautiful daughter of mine with her hands on her knees looked up at the Nun and said “Bite Me!” She left a stunned Sister on the bench, ran back on the court, immediately stole the ball from the other team’s best player, and did an easy lay-up. She was benched the rest of the game but I have never been so proud.

So that gets me started. Perhaps there will be a part II tomorrow. Moments in my life that I wouldn’t trade for anything!

What about you? What is your bullet list?