Upon a Sunny Day

Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans.

John Lennon said it.

There’s a bunch of truth there, I’d say. In my experience, anyway.

Making plans. Making plans. So many people run around making plans. Making it hard to avoid being placed [or displaced, depending] into their plans. And while, sure, some of life requires a plan, I grow weary of it all.

Newsflash. I am not a planner. I texted my daughter a few weeks back. Trying to arrange a trip. I must be frustrating. To her. She’s a planner. A let’s get out the calendar and write in pen what’s happening when kind of person. That makes me feel uneasy. Pencil? Maybe, because then I can erase. Discuss but not solidify. That’s not so bad. But actually formulate a step by step, mapped out itinerary? That’s a commitment I’m often not ready to make. So I don’t.

Only sometimes I do. This past weekend. A flight purchased for my daughter. A car trip for my son and I. A meeting for our family in Atlanta. Not many details. A hotel reservation. I insisted my son and I stop in Nashville to lunch at Frothy Monkey. Other than that. Well, a few ideas but nothing set in stone.

And it all came off magnificently. My son found some delightful restaurants, via the internet. My daughter offered a few suggestions. The MLK memorial. The High Museum of Art. Me? Street art. Because that’s what I always want to do. And of course, we made a quick jaunt through Centennial Olympic Park and the CNN building. I can handle two touristy endeavors. None more, though. A mall close to our hotel, so we shopped.

Time together. Planned. Yet not.

Perhaps I’m a moderate planner. A loose plan is enough. Give and take. Flexibility. I just don’t want to miss anything worthwhile because I’m busy making other plans. Busy making lists for the sake of making lists. Busy formulating the rest of my life and meanwhile missing today.

Today is all I have. Terribly cliche, yes. But let’s be real. 

Who really knows. Anything about tomorrow.

I was reminded this week our…. best laid plans. Well, you probably know the rest. If you don’t, they often go awry. Which begs the question: Why bother? Making plans. I suppose because sometimes making them yields a pleasant result. And sometimes plans going awry is the best thing ever. Yet. So often all the work ends up for naught. Except life ends up happening. Anyway.