Ready to Go!

            I’ve mentioned a few times that I enjoy running. Sometimes before I start running, though, I have to give myself little pep talks, exclaiming things like, “Alright, let’s kill tonight! Let’s do three miles in less than 20 minutes! You’re an animal!” One day I hope to compete in a marathon, but before that I’ll have to train for it, mentally and physically. I can’t imagine trying to pace myself over 26 miles without preparing for the task. At least a month’s worth of preparation would be necessary in order for me to feel ready. The whole process may sound grueling to some, but a marathon is something that a person can take pride in having completed and the feat is certainly hard to beat.

            You may not be a running enthusiast, but you should be able to relate to the concept of preparing for something. If you’re a storm chaser, you’ve got to have the proper gear and information before tracking down the next hurricane. Are you determined to find inner peace through meditation? You might have to turn off the lights and turn on some relaxing New Age music. Should you wish to express your appreciation of da Vinci’s artwork through music, you will want to research a few things before writing “The Ballad of Mona Lisa.” The point is, depending on what you are working on, you will always be making preparations of some sort throughout your life.

            I’m planning a backpacking trip this summer. Unfortunately, as fun as it may sound, I can’t just say, “I wanna be free! I’ll let Mother Nature look after me!” and take off without any food or tent or maps. I’ve consulted the calendar so I can pick out the best week to be absent from work as well as research trends in weather in order to predict the best time of the summer to go. I’d like to avoid wet weather. Backpacking in the rain is no fun. The rain actually ruins a lot of things for a lot of people, especially those that are nearly witches or full-on witches, because it causes anything between a slight rash to death. A backpacker will simply be bogged down with soggy gear.

            When it comes to plans and preparations I’ve got my own vices and virtues. I like to wing it most of the time, but bad experiences have helped me change my ways. The time-old adage, “Haste makes waste,” is a mantra I constantly have to repeat to myself before embarking on a hiking, camping, or even road trip. I would love to trade mistakes I’ve made while rushing to do an outdoor activity for better memories. Not planning properly has led to arguments, discomfort, unhappiness, and other unpleasant results. There have been multiple instances when a friend has had to stall me from jumping into a potentially disastrous situation, such as stepping out onto a frozen lake that wasn’t all that frozen or cannonballing off a bridge into a river that turned out to be only five feet deep and full of jagged rocks. (Thanks, Mark!)

            Oh, glory abounds when you spend time planning ahead. Well-made plans are guaranteed to create some good memories. It really is worth it when your friend Sarah smiles (supposing you have a friend named Sarah; if not, replace “Sarah” with your friend’s actual name) because you brought graham crackers, marshmallows, and chocolate bars on your campout. Remember, planning in advance has often saved the day, including the time I avoided causing a panic at the disco by practicing all my cool dance moves before trying them out on the dance floor, so do yourself and your family and friends a favor and invest a little more time to make your plans this summer less stressful and extra special.