Anti-bucket list: A list of things you want to avoid experiencing in life

“I do not want to go to prison, or eat prison food,” said Tanisha Israt Siddiqui, a first-year student pursuing her undergrad at North South University when asked what she doesn’t want to experience.

While pursuing goals of life or even leading normal life, people create a bucket list for themselves that they want to do before they die. When a particular milestone is achieved, they cross it off their list.

However, something more thrilling than this cliché approach would be creating an anti-bucket list. That would include a list of things that people would want to avoid experiencing at any cost in this short lifespan. The interesting part of it is that, unlike a bucket list, one would not want to cross off any segment from the list. Every individual has his/her own set of events that s/e wants to avoid throughout the whole life but somewhat similarities can also be drawn. In many instances, the anti-bucket list tends to shape up owing to factors or events that an individual has witnessed happening around him/her and those individuals would want to avoid the same happening to them.

Maliha Tanzim Purni, one of the founders of Bumbershoot, includes not wanting to get married with a close friend in the anti-bucket list. She believes her best friends know her better than anyone else. “I won’t be willing to lose such a friend,” said Purni.

Orindom Haque Uchchhall, a 4th-year student of Bangladesh University of Professionals, has nightmares thinking about attending his graduation ceremony via online zoom video conference. “I want to spend the last few days of my university life with my friends and teachers on the campus,” he said explaining his anti-bucket list.

It is actually a growing concern that is very relatable within the present context. The inclusion of online graduation in an anti-bucket list is on the rise among the students.

However, when universities are open, students often face complicated situation. Such an example can be drawn from Adib Arnob, a 4th-year BBA student at BUP. He echoes the concern of many that universities are filled with club and related politics that hamper their learning and overall experience. “One good thing happened as universities moved to online classes is the reduction of turmoil,” he added.

When asked about an anti-bucket list, some kids came up with fascinating responses. Nawar Khan, a 6-year-old girl Kindergarten student, is only concerned about dogs! “I don’t want to be chased by dogs,” she said. Her older brother of seven, Alif Khan, however, worries that he will need to make his own tiffin if his mom suddenly stops giving it. “I don’t know how to cook or make breakfast. I forgot to do homework and if my mother finds out, she will tell me to make my own tiffin,” said he.

Mr Selim, a 50-year-old businessman, said, “I hate living alone. I want to spend the last years of my life with my family and children, staying with them, spending a lot of time with them. The only experience in life I want to avoid is being alone.”

The people of his age group have their anti-bucket list mostly centring around their family members.

Everyone is afraid of losing his/her loved ones and wants to avoid it at any cost. People tend to hold on to dear ones, but the harsh reality is that losing someone is inevitable and everyone must cross it off from their anti-bucket list at some point in their life.

Even though an anti-bucket list often portrays several serious issues, it can also be a fun source among friends and family.

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