Planning Ahead

Don’t life’s trials just seem to sneak up on you sometimes?  If we could see into the future it would make planning ahead so much easier. 

When my brother was a little guy he was pretty good at planning ahead.

I remember this one time when he committed a spanking offense. That was back when you could get a spanking without the cops coming and taking dad away to jail. I don’t remember what he did but he knew well in advance that he was going to get it.  He planned ahead.

Our father came in and put him over his knee and gave him the spanking.  Charlie cried and generally made a good show of it.  My father put him back on his feet and left the room.   As soon as he was out of ear shot my brother wiped away the crocodile tears and started to laugh.  I was confused ,to say the least.

 My father always said that giving us a spanking hurt him more than it did us.  In this case he was literally correct.  My brother had really planned ahead this time.  He had put some comic books in his pants to shield his butt.  It worked like a charm.

To this day I can’t explain my father not knowing the comic books were there.  I suspect that he went into the living room and told my mother about Chuck and his armored butt.  They probably laughed even harder than my brother did.

If we only knew when it was time to stuff the comic books in our pants a lot of life’s difficulties could be avoided or maybe softened just a little.  Unfortunately that isn’t the way it is a most of the time.  Most of the time, they occur without much warning.

Quite a while back my wife began filling empty bottles with water and storing them all over the place.  I complained more than once about the water filled bottles.  They took up space.  They got in the way of the stuff I wanted to store.  Besides I couldn’t picture myself drinking water from any of them.  Who knew how long the bottle was sitting there building up unseen critters that would turn into something nasty inside of you.

But like my own mother, the mother of our children, my wife is generally right about a lot of things.  She was right about the water.  When a hurricane came through and the power went out we had water for something I hadn’t thought of.  We had water to flush the toilets.  So if there were some unseen critters in those bottles they have now been processed by our septic system.

We eventually got a generator so we can pump water even when the power is out.  But guess what, we still have the water bottles hanging around the house and I am not going to complain.  I wouldn’t want to be wrong two times in a row about the same thing.

That reminds me about something else I better stop complaining about.  There is a bunch of stuff in the trunk of our car that I have been complaining about.  It’s some food and, get this, water bottles filled with, well, water.  There is some of our old clothes and some other stuff I hesitate to describe in there as well.  It’s called a 72-hour kit.  My wife put it together.  It’s for us if we have to go on the lam.  I complained because it takes up space in the trunk.  I figured you should put it in the garage.  Hey, the trunk is needed for other things like golf clubs and such. Of course I don’t play golf, but I might take it up someday. 

The other day a house in town burned down. I listened to the news report and was glad to hear that the family got out safely.  That’s when I figured something out.  If that happened to us I guess the food and stuff in the garage wouldn’t’ be of much use.  My wife was right again. 

So even if life sneaks up on you there are some things you can prepare for.  Keep some water around even if it is only to flush the toilet.  Have a 72-hour kit stuffed in the trunk of your car. Keep some cash aside you can grab if you have to run for the hills. 

Before I close this time I’d like to say a little about my dad who just turned 90 in February.  He has always been a great father when we were growing up and even now at 90 years old he is still a great dad.  He lives in Florida and I call him every day and never hang up without telling him I love him.  For you men out there who might just take the time to read this blog.  Start planning ahead so that when you son or daughter talks about you when you’re ninety they will say he is a great dad.

Remember this you guys out there, nothing you do out there in the world will count if you have failed as a father and a husband.  For the two of you, husband and wife if you want your spouse and your children to love you, you need to love them first. 

The best preparation advice I can give is love each other.  Contrary to what Ryan O’Neal said in “Love Story” love doesn’t mean never having to say you’re sorry.  Love is knowing when to say you’re sorry.

Until next time, keep the comic books stuffed in your pants and the water bottles in the trunk and I almost forgot, keep a smile on your face.  After all, it’s the most attractive thing you can put on and it doesn’t cost a thing.

To find out about my novel “Operation Armageddon” please visit my web site at Tagewright.blogspot.com for details and remember that 50% of the royalties will be donated to help our veterans.  You may email me at any time at tagewright@aol.com for a free preview of the book.