I always try to be 10-15 minutes early for line dance class. When you lead the class, that is a good thing.
Last week I was not early. In fact, I was late--10 minutes late! You want to know why?
Stop for strawberries. Stop for coffee. Follow slow driver. Road closed. Detour. Short cut. Wrong turn. Arrive late, frazzled, but in good spirits.
It doesn't pay to get upset. Things happen.
Well, maybe I did get upset, just a little. How can a person not get a little upset when his/her plans go awry?
But, on the bright side, I had a quart of fresh strawberries, a cup of coffee and an hour of line dancing to show for my venture.
This wasn't the first time my plans have gone awry. In fact, they do that quite often. I've learned that, sometimes, the very thing that disrupts my intentions is better than the original plan.
In fact, some of our greatest inventions came about because someone made a "mistake"" while engaged in other research. It;s like life: it's what happens when you're making other plans.
Now, I could have gotten into a tizzy because I was held up and my timeline was altered, but it would have gotten me nowhere. It would have gotten Thomas Edison nowhere, too, but we have lots of lovely time-saving inventions to prove he lightened up (LOL) once in a while.
Sometimes, we think our lives would be simpler if we just didn't make any plans. But, how would we accomplish anything? There's an old saying I saw somewhere, "He who fails to plan, plans to fail." When I was religious education coordinator, I pointed it out to my teachers at our team meeting and we had a successful program.
There's another old saying. I see it posted on the cubicles of important people who facilitate important processes for the average citizen. As the AC comes rushing in the door at the last minute before the deadline, he/she is reminded, "Lack of planning on your part does not, necessarily, constitute an emergency on my part."
I guess it's all a matter of perspective. I have learned that the Chinese symbol for crisis actually contains two symbols; for danger and opportunity. The outcome depends on which choice is made.
Or, maybe, a better word would be serendipity. It's like when I'm hunting for something I have stored away and find something else that is even better.
Dorothy is the author of two books—“Miles and Miracles” and “Getting It All Together “. You can purchase a book or make a comment by emailing her at dorothybutzknight@gmail.com