Always Plan on Having Fun

 

Since his retirement, Martin has leaned into repeated Dad phrases. For example, when I apologetically ask him to interrupt his latest flower bed project to pick up my prescriptions at Kroger, his response is always, “I have all the time in the world. I’m retired.”

But his latest cliché is more of a life philosophy that we have learned to embrace as our mantra. It keeps us laughing during the tsunamis of change in our daily lives. Any time we outline our plans - for a day, for an event, or even for dinner - he ends with, “Sounds like a plan. But it will change in ten minutes.”

For example…

Members of the Galveston Chamber of Commerce were encouraged to participate in National Lemonade Day. Stephanie and James partnered with an enthusiastic young family, and a lemonade stand was built, supplies were purchased, recipes tweaked, and decorations planned. 

It promised to be a sunny day – excellent for cold beverage business but less ideal for children standing outside conducting that business. The Board of Directors of Dream Filled Lemonade determined that an awning would be a valuable asset.

So, naturally, Stephanie went to our family’s collector of gadgets, equipment and yard furniture to request the use of his awning. And nothing makes a retired man happier than justifying the ownership of something he thought he needed but seldom uses.

So began our involvement in the awning caper.

Plan A – Martin pulled the awning from storage for pickup.

A few minutes later, the plan changed when a local merchant offered an awning.  

Plan B – Cancel Plan A and return the awning to storage.

Until the merchant’s offer fell through.  The awning was pulled from storage once again.

Plan C – Take the awning to Galveston when we go to Lemonade Day on Saturday.

On reflection, we calculated that since we live an hour from Galveston and were going to get there by way of Spring Branch to pick up Evan, we would be too late for the awning to be assembled and used.

Plan D – On Friday, drive the awning halfway to Galveston where Stephanie and James would meet us for a drop-off.

But Friday morning brought severe thunderstorms and flood warnings. Cancel the drop-off. Possibly cancel the lemonade stand. Possibly build an Ark.

Plan E – The sponsored family called to say they had conflicts and would not be able to set up until noon.  

Plan F – Make a contribution to Lemonade Day equal to the cost of an awning and ask Stephanie to handle it. This is called delegating.

Saturday was a beautiful day on Galveston Island with hundreds of young entrepreneurs proving the old adage (likely coined by a retired man) that when life gives you lemons, it really is a great idea to make lemonade.

The next time someone asks you for help, channel your inner Martin and say, “Sure. I’m retired.” Then wait ten minutes for the plans to change.