A friend asked me what my plans were for this weekend, and I admitted I had no plans. It sounds a bit pathetic, I suppose, not planning on doing anything, but that’s the way I like it. My favorite times are when I have no plans, no schedules, no appointments, just the day — pristine and full of possibilities — stretching before me.
Despite my lack of planning, I still ended up with a full day because with no plans in mind, I am open to spontaneity. I stopped by the library and visited with a friend who sometimes hangs out there. She mentioned a luncheon that the VFW was putting on to raise money, and added that a mutual friend wanted to go but had no one to go with her.
So I went with her.
I was a bit nervous because I still don’t like being around strangers especially since most people don’t seem to care about keeping their distance. Almost everyone was crowded inside, but we ate in solitary splendor on the tables outside. It was nice being sociable for a while, but I am just as glad that tomorrow will be another plan-free day. Perhaps I will spend it by myself. Perhaps something will come up and I’ll go gallivanting. Either way, I’ll enjoy the day — and enjoy having no plans — because come Monday, I have a lot of notations on my calendar.
Come to think of it, those days with plans and appointments are good, too, because things get done. Or at least the hope is that things will get done. Even when I make plans, those plans often go awry because things change or people cancel out on me. And that’s the worst sort of day for me — when I don’t get the luxury of waking up to a planless day, and I don’t get the satisfaction of accomplishment by following through on plans I didn’t want to make in the first place.
Am I confusing you? Don’t worry. I’ve confused me, too.
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Bertram's Blog 
August 8, 2021 at 4:18 am
One day our japanese teacher asked every body what are you going to do for your holidays. One of the person has replied I am on holiday every day. Because he is a well retired person. In my opinion weekend is for the working people to get rest or to do keep occupied with their children freely or do some missed household choirs. Lot of people for their loisirs, visiting family, friends, Passionate people to continue to continue to finish their not finished office and self employment (personal) work, go on writing, painting, composing, recherche and lot of other things I forget.
I don’t know and understand why one must to get be maniac to plan everything !. Naturally you are a person very active and occupying thousand times better than me in your everyday life. I feel there is no suffering to do nothing physically, mentally, intellectually for a day !. Except your blog! Now I am more confused than you. Please forgive me if I was wrong.
August 8, 2021 at 8:14 am
You’re right, of course. There’s no need to plan everything. To me there’s nothing more fulfilling than an empty day to do with as I wish.
August 8, 2021 at 4:58 pm
“Failing to plan = planning to fail” has been a thing with me for some time. Being self-employed for much of my life, I viscerally get that plans need to evolve with changing circumstances, but plans can be an anchor (or maybe drogue) when events intervene. The plan drew me back, more or less, to the intended course. Whatever the weather, the plotted course was the goal.
After the death of my wife, the course is unclear. With the Bob, rules change seemingly daily. Plans are moot, so taking the day as it comes, and enjoying it as it is, strikes me as eminently reasonable That said, someday the world will return to something like normal, and I’ll have to grow a plan.
August 8, 2021 at 5:40 pm
During those first years after Jeff died, I made many plans. Most never came to fruition, but it seemed as if by planning for some sort of future made the present seem a bit less despairing.
Oddly, some of the best things to come out of those years — first the dance classes and now my house — were not truly planned. They just sort of happened.
August 8, 2021 at 6:34 pm
Same think happened to me. All my plans after my wife departure never came to fruition as you said. Unexpected administrative process still I have to wait, pandemic situation had stopped all my plans and cause of my life has completely changed. The next six months to next two years my way of life going to change. I have stopped all my medium term and long term plans. I must have lot of patience and courage to go through with it. At the moment I don’t know what is going to happen ?
August 8, 2021 at 7:55 pm
You are right — it takes a lot of patience and courage to go through the changes that are coming. Well, the big change already came when your wife departed, but it takes all this time to process it and become the person you need to be to get through the rest of your life.