Stick to the plan!
This is the time of year I become obsessed with the future.
I pore over the data. I weigh the opinions of experts. I consider the veracity of hearsay and rumors. If there are tea leaves in a cup, I’ll read them.
There are no lengths I will not go to determine the weather.
The quality of any day in summer hinges on the forecast. Everything there is to do is done outside, and all of it is so much worse when done in the rain: mowing the lawn, gardening, games, concerts, parties, cookouts and picnics. Do I need to list them all?
Some may dismiss such sentiments with an articulate “duh,” but such impassivity only demonstrates that the unpredictable world into which we have been born has only made them numb. Or, maybe they’re the kind of people who check in with the forecast, conclude the day is a wash and resign themselves to a day indoors.
Some of us can’t do that. We made plans.
We consult weather apps, slide the forecast window to the required time and try to comfort ourselves that the dark red amoebalike storm cell will just miss our desired location. But, even technology can’t be counted on. It’s all a projection of a future based on variables too numerous and dynamic to predict.
The right bet, I’ve learned, is to call chaos’ bluff.
I concede that when an enormous front is sweeping the continent, you brace for the imminent storm. But, when an inconclusive and very Connecticut “chance of rain” looms, I pack a raincoat and test the forecast. When faced with a chaotic world, the best approach is to determine the goal, identify the risks, know your strengths and stick to the plan with no hesitation.
I knew a guy who was a part owner of a luxury sailboat. During one of his allotted weekends with the boat, he invited our family for a jaunt on Long Island Sound. Rain was in the forecast, and I asked my friend if the trip would be cancelled. Cancelled? Never! He didn’t trust forecasts and said that the chance of a day on the boat was better than any day on land. So, we trekked down to Southeast Connecticut and had a pleasant cruise to Fischer’s Island. The skies looked menacing, but the weather held — right up until the point we got our feet on land, and it started pouring.
It made for a wet ride home, but we got our day in.
And, it beat staying indoors watching TV.