The Bucket List

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I watched the movie "The Bucket List" 2 weeks ago. It made me cry a little bit because its made me feel good. What I appreciate most about this film is the message that it brings. Rather than critiquing this movie as an art, I’d rather write down certain passages that resonate well with me.

"There’s no way I can repay you for all you’ve done for me, so rather than try, I’m just going to ask you to do something else for me. Find the joy in your life. You once said you’re not everyone. Well, that’s true. You’re certainly not everyone. But everyone is everyone. My pastor always says "Our lives are streams flowing into the same river towards whatever heaven lies in the mist beyond the falls." Find the joy in your life, Edward. My dear friend, close your eyes and let the waters take you home."(Carter)

This quote I think sums up the gist of the movie. Life is a journey back home. Our home is nothingness, a stillpoint, where we feel no passions, no cares, we are all forgotten. That is where we came from and where we’re going. While we’re alive, we must find our passions, whether it brings joy or grief, for when we’re home, we will be suffused with calmness.

"Its difficult to understand the sum of a person’s life. Some people will tell you it’s measured by the ones left behind. Some believe it can be measured in faith. Some say by love. Other folks say life has no meaning at all. Me? I believe that you measure yourself by the people who measured themselves by you."(Carter)

I think we must measure ourselves on all of these, not just love, faith, things we left behind, or achievements we’ve done. All these must be present in our life. Yet it would depend on each person to balance how much of each to give importance to. That stems from our circumstances and values.

"There was a survey once. A thousand people were asked, if they could know in advance would they want to know the exact day of their death. 96% of them said no. I always kind of leaned toward the other 4%. I thought it would be liberating knowing how much time you had left to work with. It turns out, its not."(Carter)

I agree. Knowing the time of my death would cloud my thinking and priorities. I will not be living at the moment but brooding over the future. The present is too fleeting it will not be back again, too precious to let pass for nothing. The merit of knowing when your dying can still be gained by always remembering the fragility of life. I will do first things first, those that are dear to me, those that define me as a person. I will live my life as if I will die in a year.

"Even now I can’t understand the measure of a life. But I can tell you this: I know that when he died, his eyes were closed and his heart was open. And I am pretty sure he was happy with his final resting place, because he was buried on the mountain and that was against the law."(Carter)

Even before watching this movie, I already dreamed of being buried in a mountain. Maybe because I’ve always enjoyed tramping and mountain climbing. I just love being alone with nature. I love the smell of fresh air, the cool breeze on my skin, the sense of achievement upon reaching the peak, the momentary view of what is majestic and larger than my daily commonplace existence. I know I’m raving for this movie, but I think a lot of people would agree. The following is a preview of the movie which will bring you to Youtube.

 

 

Edward’s Persona

I feel a certain affinity with Edward at this stage in my life, that’s because I used to live my life like Carter. I particularly like this conversation between them:

Carter	:	It’s indescribably beautiful.
Edward	:	I love flying over the polar cap. Above the desolation.
Carter	:	The stars, its really one of God’s good ones.
Edward	:	So you think a being of some sort did all this?
Carter	:	You don’t?
Edward	:	You mean, do I believe if I look up in the sky and promise this or that, the Biggie will make all this go away? No.
Carter	:	Then 95% of the people on Earth are wrong?
Edward	:	If life has taught me anything, it’s that 95% of the people are always wrong.
Carter	:	It’s called faith.
Edward	:	I honestly envy people who have faith. I just can’t get my head around it.
Carter	:	Maybe your head’s in the way.
Edward	:	Carter, we’ve all had hundreds of these discussions and every one of them always hits the same wall. Is there a sugar plum fairy or not? and nobody has ever gotten over that wall.
Carter	:	So, what do you believe?
Edward	:	I resist all beliefs.
Carter	:	No big bang? Random universe?
Edward	:	We live, we die. And the wheels on the bus go round and round.
Carter	:	What if you’re wrong?
Edward	:	I’d love to be wrong. If I’m wrong, I win.

That is my philosophy as well. I resist all beliefs. We live we die and the world goes on with itself. The mind has limitations and beyond that, everything is speculation.

Carter	:	You know, the ancient Egyptians had a beautiful belief about death. When their souls got to the entrance to heaven, the gods asked them 2 questions. Their answers determined whether they were admitted or not.
Edward	:	Ok, I’ll bite. what were they?
Carter	:	Have you found joy in your life?
Edward	:	Uh-huh…..
Carter	:	Has you life brought joy to others?….
Edward	:	I’m not proud of everything I did but I’m pretty sure I’d do it all again. So, if they don’t let me into Egyptian heaven because my daughter hates me, well, then I guess that’s just the way it goes.

Exactly. If punishment is waiting out there for me, that’s my fate. Forgive me for I can’t exceed my limitations. If other people have faith, I have my fate.

"What do you think happens now? I go back and sit around listening to people talking about mezzanine financing and subordinated debt pretending that I care about dead money. You go home to some ceremonial procession into death with everyone standing around watching you die while you try to comfort them. Is that what you want, to be smothered by pity and grief? Well, not me. And in your heart Carter, I believe not you either…. We got a real opportunity here…. The way I see it, we can lay around here hoping for a miracle in some bullshit science experiment or we can put some moves on."(Edward)

If I knew I would be dying soon, I’d be desperate to find happiness, like Edward. He thinks he is a dead man walking, saying somewhere in the film "I wish I’d meet you before we were dead." I think when we know we’re dying, we would have a totally changed worldview and priorities. Before our lives get extinguised, before our bodies gets too old to be unable to do them, before that time when what we are only capable of is going over our regrets, we have to put some moves on.

 

Edward has a few one-liners as well that I find witty:

1. "Boy’s and girls, you need me. I do not need you."
2. "Nobody cares what you think."
3. "What if I lost my mind already. Jesus no. No, no, no Jesus. This is not praying."
4. "That’s the problem with the game today: no fundamentals."
5. "Oh, yeah, beautiful! .. This is living…Surrender to the void… I got a feeling I’m falling…"
6. "We live to die another day."
7. "Three things to remember when you get older: never pass up a bathroom, never waste a hard-on, and never trust a fart."
8. "Thomas, I’d really like to say you’re irreplaceable but i’d be lying." ("And i’d really like to say you’re a gracious man, and I love my job but I, too, would be lying", Matthew replied.)

 

Irrespective of what the critics say, this movie is so good for me. It’s more life-like with its warts, not some polished contrived art. I only live once, so off I go to discover the joy in my life.

 

I leave you with their conversation about the bucket list.

 

And the final part that made me cry.

 

Please watch the movie. It’s worth it.

 

Ginutaчan nah Kalabasaŋ may Hipon

Naglutoч чakoh kan saroŋ semanah nin ginutaчan nah kalabasah nah may hipon.

Чuyah чan maŋah saŋkap:

1. Saroŋ kalabasah nah giniris pakwadradoh.

2. Gutaŋ duwaŋ latah.

3. Saroŋ payoh nin bawaŋ nah чinipit.

4. Saroŋ payoh nin sibullas nah giniris.

5. Hipon nah halos kabaŋaŋ kiloh.

Чan gabos nah saŋkap чuyah.

Чasin siempreh, lanah. Maririparoh sah retratoh kan gabos nah maŋah saŋkap sah чiriчitaчas nah dapat чan kalabasah чinubakan nin kadikit ŋaniŋ malutoч чan чirarom kan kublit nah medyoh mahiчbog.

Hipon nah sinaŋkotsah

Paчagih sah paglutoч:

1. Paчiniton чan lanah, tapos чilaчag чan bawaŋ. Haloчon. Daчih pagpatutuŋon чan bawaŋ.
2. Чilaчag чan sibullas pagkatapos. Pagmedyoh lutoч nah, чilaчag чan hipon hanggang pumulah sakah malutoч.
3. Magsuчnad nin panibaчgoŋ lutoчan, чilaчag чan gutaч nah saroŋ latah may baŋaч. Чan tadaŋ kabaŋaч чilalaчag чaraчatyan. Haluчon чan gutaч mantaŋ nagkakalakagaч taŋaniŋ daчih magkortah. Pagkadiчit nah чan gutaч, чilaчag чan kalabasah ŋaniŋ malutoч.
4. Чilaчag чan kabaŋaŋ lataŋ gutaŋ чitinadaч kasubaчgoh.
5. Bayaчan haŋgaŋ sah malutoч.

Lutoч nah! Dapat mas kadikit pah чan natadaŋ gutaч.

Karakanan nah. Manaчgom!

Sabihah kung чigwah kamoŋ tuyaw.