Planbust

Life is pretty much a succession of one planbust after the next.  Somehow we don’t get accustomed to plans being busted up though.  We so often resist the busting, throw tantrums at the busting, cry real tears at the busting.  We usually don’t smile, say a kind thank you and accept, say, a plate of $22 apple pie that was rescued from a tumble on the dirty ground.  That being said, not every hard knock in life is a planbust.  And there is some beauty in being able to separate the planbust from the bummers.

And so I bring to you the proper and improper use of the word “planbust”.

Planbust – The destruction of an intention on which action has been initiated.


Proper

• You scrounge, save and plan an amazing and expensive trip abroad a year in advance – the departure date ends up being your surprise baby’s due date.  Planbust.
• You neatly organize your children into the perfect private school of your choice.  And half don’t end up fitting in there.  Planbust.
• You  find the perfect home, strike a deal and the mortgage doesn’t come through at the last minute.  Planbust.  And crappy.
• You plan a night out and the babysitter's car is impounded an hour before your date.  Planbust.

Improper (aka bummer, this sucks and good ol' life)

• You dream of that new awesome Porche Roadster.  And don’t get it.  Not a planbust.  Just a bummer.  Or life.
• Your kids aren’t straight A students and aren’t interested in baseball as you had hoped.  Not a planbust.  Maybe just let them plan their own lives.
• You plan a night out and forget to book a babysitter.  Not a planbust but for sure sucks – next time use a list.

I recently, for a party trick, calculated the number of diapers used by my kids and when it exceeded 20,000 I quit counting and decided that the old adage is true – shit happens.  Whether it’s important and dramatic shit or whether it is everyday-type shit, it’s gonna happen and our ability to separate the two types defines how we parent, even how we exist and interact with our world.

Plans will be busted but those busted plans give way to new and unexpected joys – as long as we are open to them.