The Bucket List
Things change, the world changes, and we move ahead in time. Many of us have a bucket list, things we feel we need to do before we, ourselves, come to an end.
One of the things I’d love to do before I leave this plane is to travel the old Route 66 from Chicago, IL to Santa Monica, CA. My brother, cousin, and I talked about making that trip a lot last summer. The 2,448 mile trip would take about two to three weeks if we stopped to see all the sights.
Much of the old route faded into newer roads, highways, freeways. Still, you can find a lot of the old route’s highlights if you look for them. Finding and riding the old road–as much as is left–brings some of the legend and history of The Mother Road to life. Route 66 in the mid-1900’s displayed the character of America and you can still find and experience some of that today.
So, that’s one of the things on my bucket list.
The List
Another item on the list is to crate up the Harley, ship it to Europe, then ride it for two or three months all over the place. Some places in Europe I visited in the 1970’s and I’d love to go back and see the changes or the things that are still the same. I’d like to spend more time seeing the countries and seeing some friends.
A fascinating ride in Scotland would be the North Coast 500. Tourism in the UK bills the route as the Route 66 of Scotland, but I think it has its own attraction. The article suggests a three-day run due to small, slow winding roads threading through the highlands, lochs, and rugged coastline.
Some of the things in my bucket list drive what I’m writing about in my current work in progress. A Harley, an open road, and time. But, time is a limited commodity. Progress, politics (both national and international), economics, and other factors may conspire to prevent me from doing some of the things on the bucket list.
Route 66 is slowly disappearing and it may be gone before I get a chance to ride it. I do have a small piece of tarmac I picked off from the old road in Arizona from a trip in 1995. I keep it with a Route 66 key tag in my curio cabinet.
Why?
The items on the bucket list represent dreams we might have. Things we’ve always wanted to see or do. When you can reach down deep and find those dreams and desires, you can find the motivation that drives a character in a story. It’s what makes that character set out on the adventure, chase that dream, or follow a cause.
Time, though, is the enemy. The limiter of experience. Like Route 66 fading, or the far-off adventure ending before you get a chance. Your character must strive for the goal in spite of time.
So. Find the time.
Keep writing.