Dad discovers 13-year-old son's ambitious bucket list — and we might all have to rethink our life goals

Adults often lose the motivation to chase the dreams they fostered as children. Most of them even forget their ideal future plans as they grow up. On top of that, they spend their entire lives reflecting on their achievements without recalling the long-lost wishes of their inner child. The same happened to a man after he stumbled upon his son’s newly made bucket list. The father, u/EarSubstantial9362 on Reddit, shared how he needed to shift gears and focus on rethinking his entire life from scratch. A widely circulating post highlighted the teenage boy’s growing aspirations in life, inspiring his dad to follow suit.

“I found my 13-year-old son's bucket list and realized I need to rethink my entire life,” the man wrote, sharing a picture showing twenty unique and wild goals set by the teen. The milestone checklist began with the school-going boy’s desire to get himself "a full taxidermy alligator." Following this, he listed a trip to New Zealand, the southwestern Pacific nation known for its scenic beauty. The third point highlighted his career goal of becoming a published author, i.e., writing a book of his own. Another goal set by the boy was to discover a new species, suggesting his inclination toward zoology. Thereafter, the 13-year-old suggested he would like to eat an octopus at some point in his life.

After that, he wanted to become friends with a binturong, more commonly known as a bearcat, found in Southeast Asia. And to do all of these, he would definitely need an off-roading vehicle. “Get a cool jeep" and "Have a YouTube channel,” found their space on his list, expressing his desire to be an influential social media figure, or perhaps, a travel vlogger. The boy also shared his aspirations to prove the existence of goblins and to meet celebrity British author and "Harry Potter" series writer, J.K. Rowling. Another goal, born out of literary devotion, would be to become the world’s leading Redwall expert. As bizarre as it may sound, the boy wished to legally adopt a new name for himself and replace his current one. Perhaps he didn’t agree with his parents’ choice.

The remaining bucket list contained: "Get married, save an animal species, go on a fossil dig, go snorkeling with a shark, help make a movie, meet an alien, become a billionaire and beat up someone." The post managed to draw widespread attention on social media, garnering 92K upvotes and countless reactions. When someone asked the teen’s dad why he would want to beat someone, the father replied, saying, “Haha, it can seem dark unless you meet him. The kid is a harmless, imaginative goofball.” Another comment was from u/TaigaTaiga3, who asked, “Does he like Redwall because you have the books from when you were younger, or is there a resurgence in its popularity now?” The man responded, “He found them at the library. He reads like 4-6 hours a day and loves fantasy and almanac-type books.” And when 0800-pan-et-miel inquired further about the name change, the boy’s dad said he would change it to “Trevor Bartholomew Dunglepants the Third.”