The problem is this: I have on occasion made plans and was able to see them develop precisely as planned. Maybe once or twice. I am not all that good at planning in the first place so some of the problems that come up while executing a plan are due to the plan itself.
I am pretty good at the three day weekend. I can almost put everything I need in a shoulder type carry-on bag. Add a day to that and things start looking a lot like a week, which requires an amount of luggage that is exponentially greater than that three day thing. Phrases like, “I may need that…”, begin to pop up frequently. So, I have developed a sort of antidote to that by asking the question, “So, when did I actually ‘need’ that?”. If I can’t come up with “Yesterday”, or at most, “Last week”, then it doesn’t get packed.
A wise friend said, “What the hell! You are going to be in a place where they have stores where you can go buy stuff, right? So don’t worry.
What is it about being away for a week that makes me think I’ll wear that weird T shirt that I wouldn’t wear at home where someone I know might see me? We go to this country fair every year and every year we get the T shirt du jour and put it away in a drawer containing over a dozen of its unworn brothers. They are arguably the ugliest things a rational human being can wear. I have removed them all from my regular drawer and stowed them in the el, which is the first step to Good Will.
If you haven’t guessed it by now – I am planning a trip more than three days in duration. It could last a couple of months! I can’t even find the appropriate categories in my brain in which to fit that idea. I think, “Well, what should I pack?” Then the answer comes back immediately: “Everything!” Everything except those hideous T shirts with those goofy barnyard scenes on them.
So it becomes an exercise in deciding what not to pack as much as what to pack. I start off with the basics. Underpants, shorts and sandals. T shirts and sleeveless Ts for life in a warm place. At this point, I begin to realize that anything else is non-critical. My load feels lighter already. Did I mention a warm place?
We were supposed to leave tomorrow but there was a problem in the cellar. In the 30 years this house has stood, there has never been a drop of water in the cellar. Until three days ago. Well, to make a long story shorter, we have things handled now and should be able to leave the house in good hands and take off later this week. We think.
Does it rain in Florida? A rain coat for sure. I think the snow shovel stays here. My neighbor, Dean, who is looking after things, says to forget about it. Have fun. My problem is that I have never forgotten a thing in my entire life. Maybe this is a good time to practice.
Stay tuned.
Jerry Henderson
G B Henderson
701 Elmwood Rd.
Pownal, ME 04069
Email – mailto:treetopviews
Blog – http://treetopviews.com
Recent Comments