Backup Plan

Right after my freshman year at college my roommate and I had to move apartments. We were going back home for the summer and just wanted to store our stuff for a few weeks. We boxed everything up and planned on leaving it in the apartment’s storage cages. Problem: we waited until just a few hours before our flight to make the transfer and it was, of course, locked. Everyone had left. Screwed we were. We asked our friend to come over and help us move the boxes somewhere else but we had no clue where…and we left out that information. As soon as he realized our predicament he shook his head, starred us both down and said in a rather piercing voice with outstanding gestures, “What’s Plan B? What’s your backup plan? You always have to have a backup plan!!!” We burst into a shameful laughter and to this day we’ll often recite this phrase to remind us of our pure lack of planning skills and freshman stupidity.

Since that pivotal moment in my life, I’ve tried to always keep a decent backup plan handy. I'm certainly an advocate of both the philosophy and practice. But too often I get caught up in the moment, incapable of thinking beyond the present and I find myself standing in front of a locked door with no chance of jimmying it open. Quickly I’ll realize the error of my ways and inevitably that voice will enter my mind. I know! Backup plan! Where’s my backup plan!?! That annoying voice is always right but why is it that I only hear it after I get locked outside?