# "Things To Do Before I Die" List **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 4, 2009, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-to-do-before-i-die-list/520005 "2009-12-04T17:16:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-to-do-before-i-die-list/520005/1 "2009-12-04T17:16:39Z")
It seems like every other sitcom on TV has an episode where one of the character has or usually finds a list of goals or accomplishments he wants to do before he/she dies. My question is, does anyone actually DO THIS in real life? I’ve never heard of anyone doing it. Do you have such a list? Or do you know of anyone who has it? ---
**Author:** ![otternell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecc23a/32.png) [@otternell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/otternell)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-to-do-before-i-die-list/520005/2 "2009-12-04T17:18:31Z")
Ever since the movie, it seems like all my friends are babbling about their “bucket list”. And yet, I am not seeing them do a damn thing about anything on their list. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-to-do-before-i-die-list/520005/3 "2009-12-04T17:30:09Z")
> [@Markxxx](#): > > Do you have such a list? Or do you know of anyone who has it? No, and no. Is that what a ‘bucket list’ is? ---
**Author:** ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-to-do-before-i-die-list/520005/4 "2009-12-04T17:53:07Z")
Yes, I have a “bucket list”, which I came up with on my own before the movie. It consists of things that seem reasonably doable, and that I would feel disappointed I hadn’t done if I learned I was going to die tomorrow. Since making the list, I’ve done a couple of the items on it. ---
**Author:** ![schnuckiputzi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecb155/32.png) [@schnuckiputzi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/schnuckiputzi)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-to-do-before-i-die-list/520005/5 "2009-12-04T18:06:48Z")
I’ve thought about it, since they told me the cancer is incurable. I’d love to travel, but the cancer also comes with medical bills, which makes spending big money on vacations a little silly. i want to make recipe boxes for my kids with copies of the traditional family foods, but I really don’t have any other ideas. ---
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-to-do-before-i-die-list/520005/6 "2009-12-04T18:16:38Z")
I only have one item on mine: Own a flying car. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-to-do-before-i-die-list/520005/7 "2009-12-04T18:18:20Z")
I have a list of travel destinations, but not for anything else. ---
**Author:** ![MLS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MLS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MLS)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-to-do-before-i-die-list/520005/8 "2009-12-04T18:21:33Z")
For a long time I’ve had a mental list of stuff I want to do. I’ve already done just about all of them that are possible. (I’ve resigned myself to the fact that I am never going to get to go into outer space, for example.) Problem is, now I want to do them AGAIN. I want to see ANOTHER solar eclipse. I want to see BRIGHTER northern lights. I want to go back to that beautiful beach in Anguilla. I’m about to cross off one item in less than two months, if all goes well – my daughter is due to deliver my first grandchild in late January. Yay! ---
**Author:** ![Karen\_Lingel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karen_lingel/32/18649_2.png) [@Karen\_Lingel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Karen_Lingel)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-to-do-before-i-die-list/520005/9 "2009-12-04T18:36:13Z")
Oh, I soooo do: 1. Visit Scandanavia (all 5 countries) 2. Watch Cal play in the Rose Bowl 3. (Watch Cal WIN the Rose Bowl) ---
**Author:** ![Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/half_man_half_wit/32/21766_2.png) [@Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Half_Man_Half_Wit)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-to-do-before-i-die-list/520005/10 "2009-12-04T18:38:32Z")
I had such a list when I was about fifteen; in fact, I believe I can reproduce it in its entirety here from memory: [ol][li]Have sex[/ol][/li]Ever since completing it a couple years later, I’ve been kinda aimless. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-to-do-before-i-die-list/520005/11 "2009-12-04T18:43:13Z")
I don’t have a formal, written list, but there are some adventurous things that I’m glad I got to do, and a few more that I’d like to. And I think of new ones all the time. ---
**Author:** ![Superhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-to-do-before-i-die-list/520005/12 "2009-12-04T20:43:14Z")
I dunno what’s the fascination with this since the movie came out. One reason they did live to be 80 or whatever is that they didn’t do crazy stuff like parachuting. If I die having never parachuted, bungied, or gone on a 14 day bender with Filipino hookers, I won’t shed a tear. The day I die, I just want to say, “I was a good person who did the best they could with what they had.” ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-to-do-before-i-die-list/520005/13 "2009-12-04T20:48:53Z")
I’ve only had one thing on my list and it’s been there for a while: Run a marathon. I’m up to running 6 miles at a time, so I figure I can achieve this goal sometime in the next year or two. ---
**Author:** ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-to-do-before-i-die-list/520005/14 "2009-12-04T21:01:17Z")
> [@Superhal](#): > > I dunno what’s the fascination with this since the movie came out. One reason they did live to be 80 or whatever is that they didn’t do crazy stuff like parachuting. > > If I die having never parachuted, bungied, or gone on a 14 day bender with Filipino hookers, I won’t shed a tear. > > The day I die, I just want to say, “I was a good person who did the best they could with what they had.” Having a list of generic “thrill stuff” strikes me as a bit pathetic. For me, it’s personal things like: Ever since I was a kid, I was fascinated by this place in New Hampshire called Castellated Ridge. I want to actually hike Castellated Ridge sometime before my legs give out. ---
**Author:** ![Surly\_Chick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Surly\_Chick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surly_Chick)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-to-do-before-i-die-list/520005/15 "2009-12-04T21:04:02Z")
Yep. I want to see the Northern Lights and ride out a hurricane. But like **Superhal** , I want to be able to say I was a good person who did the best they could with what they had. ---
**Author:** ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-to-do-before-i-die-list/520005/16 "2009-12-04T22:26:04Z")
> [@Surly\_Chick](#): > > Yep. I want to see the Northern Lights and ride out a hurricane. That’s interesting that two people have mentioned the Northern Lights and that’s on my list too! ---
**Author:** ![ToeJam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dfb087/32.png) [@ToeJam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ToeJam)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-to-do-before-i-die-list/520005/17 "2009-12-04T23:04:03Z")
As a kid, I made up a long series of lists and such of these things, and them promptly forgot about it. But every so often it pleases me if I realize “hey wait! I just accomplished one of my life goals!” That lil’ bit of smug self-satisfaction is worth it until I realize it’s just another thing I’ve crossed off bringing me a step closer to the final end. Luckily I try now to add things to the list and promptly forget them as soon as possible so that I can have that childlike satisfaction of realizing I accomplished something again. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Hamster\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@The\_Hamster\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hamster_King)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-to-do-before-i-die-list/520005/18 "2009-12-04T23:08:41Z")
Stab Hitler to death. ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2009, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-to-do-before-i-die-list/520005/19 "2009-12-05T00:54:02Z")
> [@Surly\_Chick](#): > > I want to see the Northern Lights and ride out a hurricane. Recommendation from someone who’s done both: concentrate on the former. ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2009, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-to-do-before-i-die-list/520005/20 "2009-12-05T01:06:55Z")
Right now I have one thing: follow the instructions and build a robot to solve the Rubik’s cube, to amaze my son. [http://www.tiltedtwister.com](http://www.tiltedtwister.com) It’s not really a “thing to accomplish before I die”, more of a thing that I want to do someday. If I die without ever making my robot rubik’s cube solver I guess I won’t be _too_ disappointed. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-to-do-before-i-die-list/520005.md?page=2)