Annoyingly Prepared

I woke up this morning to the natural chaos of children and a puppy. Lately, I’ve been trying to be more active in the morning, so I immediately prepare to take the dog on a walk. I note my wife saying it’s still raining outside, and I grab a coat to prepare for the weather. When I look outside, I see evidence of rainfall, but nothing is currently falling from the sky. For a second I think, “maybe I should put this coat back,” followed quickly by the thought, “if I want to walk far and it starts raining I won’t want to get caught without it.” So I throw my coat on and step outside into the humid air.

Being prepared is important. It can be the difference of finding yourself stuck hiding beneath a tree till the rain stops and walking home through the storm. In my line of work, it’s crucial to stay ten steps ahead of what’s actually going on at the moment. By staying ahead, when things blow up, you have a solid buffer that allows you to keep your head above water. This could be the difference between immense stress and a stressless day.

Being prepared is not always easy, though. Like this morning. The coat meant to protect me from the storm got really hot. I took it off and tied it around my waist, but then it constantly slipped off because of the same material used to protect me from the rain. At work, it can be tedious making note of every possibility, but it’s even worse if you get caught unprepared.

Being prepared means carrying around an uncomfortable coat, not because it’s going to rain, but because it could. It means reading the book and knowing all the rules, so when that rare situation arises, you know what to do. It’s not always the fun thing. Sometimes, it can be downright annoying, but nothing’s more annoying than getting caught unprepared and walking home soaked.