On Planning

Let me tell you something about myself: I used to despise Batman.

The Dark Knight? What’s there to hate? He’s a tremendous benefactor who gives talented youngsters a once-in-a-lifetime chance to fight supercrime. He has all sorts of tech gadgets to make any kind of computer geek overdose into catatonia. He even features the pinnacle of gothic-meets-furry fashion sense all while looking good.

There’s but one problem. Batman is in the wrong career…he never got the memo, it seems, that points out that…in order to be a superhero, you must be SUPER. And the only thing the bat is is super-rich. But hey…Richie Rich has that too and he’s like…8.

I just wanted to lighten the mood there with some stuff like that. Really, I wanted to talk about something less interesting. There’s this trait that people are magnetized to — spontaneity — that ability to just go with the flow and do something. Maybe something crazy. Maybe not. But most certainly not something that is premeditated.

I probably am “spontaneous” in all the bad ways with none of the good…but overall, I like to follow a life of planning. I have no problem with being cautious and deliberate, and biding my time is the best activity for any occasion. Quite simply, planning yields the best results. I know I can put my all into something if I can plan.

Coincidentally, after all the money is gone, Batman can still defeat anything if only he has time to plan. He has no super-talent and cannot gain anything cheaply (haha, that was totally a pun, right), but his planning and learned skills are tops.

Tonight, I wanted a time to reminisce about my old Decathlon days, and this was the best way. Back then, I planned (and then executed) a strategy of rewriting through all of my material guides, boring through every sentence until I struck an epiphany…I was at the pinnacle of nerddom back then. I think I could’ve gone into overdrive and done even better, but I think I validated my work.

I realized just recently that I need to stop reminiscing. The past cannot plan my future. I can no longer go back to high school, so I have to find something new.

Fortunately, I don’t have to do something crazy and spontaneous…I’ve had something in front of my eyes this entire year, but I’ve been too blind to take advantage of it: fencing! I’ve fenced, but I haven’t put my heart into it…I haven’t been serious about my training, about going to practices or tournaments, or about learning what works best for me.

This will change beginning now. I have time to plan and will require all the assistance I can to keep me on track.

I guess I have to get caught up with an old batty friend of mine now…