Joyce Nightingale keeps busy at 90 years of age. She sings in two choirs, plays bridge, knits and lawn bowls, and also, when she sees interesting things to do, tries to do them.
According to her daughter Lori Weatherby, her mom’s bucket list is not a usual bucket list because it’s not written down anywhere.
“She casually mentions things she has always wanted to do, as they occur to her, and when the opportunity presents itself, she is game to ‘give it a go,’ her daughter said in an email to the Optimist. And recently, while on her way to an appointment, she saw a motorcycle with a side car driving down the highway.
“This apparently is a bucket list item,” said Weatherby.
“I thought that would be really fun, to go in a sidecar,” Nightingale said.
Then, while out for a bike ride last week, Lori’s friend spotted a motorcycle and sidecar parked on the road and asked the rider, if he could take Joyce for a ride in the sidecar.
A date was agreed upon and on Sept. 16, Nightingale donned a helmet and climbed into the sidecar and toured Tswawwassen, stopping by the lawn bowling club and the beach. The motorcycle rider did so even while wearing a cast on his leg and still hurting from a motorcycle accident, said Weatherby.
“His act of kindness has given a lovely woman, who daily spreads kindness through her community, a day to remember,” said Weatherby.
For Nightingale, “The hardest part was getting the helmet on,” she said. “I don’t really know how fast he was going but I have a scarf that blew in the wind, like you have to have when you’re on a motorcycle.”
While it’s an informal bucket list, Nightingale said she hasn’t got much left on the list to do. She advises others to keep active and have fun. She’s always wanted to operate a front-end loader and got her chance last year when her daughter was working on her home.
“I don’t want to jump out of an airplane or anything,” she said.
