The Best Laid Plans

I might be on the telly soon. The reason being I finished work a few months ago and a friend asked if I wanted to go to a pub nearby to see a comedian. It was a weekday and I usually plan my weeks out quite carefully, having reserved that particular day to work on my writing, so I declined. But it was a free ticket to see a comedian I really like, and he managed to twist my arm.

Next thing I know I’m sat being filmed for Channel 4, next to two of my friends, one of whom is chatting to Grayson Perry (I guarantee this friend had no clue who Grayson Perry was). Turned out the whole thing was being filmed for Channel 4, who were making a documentary about North East comedy, something I’m really interested in. It should be on telly soon, and I’m excited to watch it.

It was a great night, and it got me thinking about the fact that what I did was essentially choose to live in the moment, rather than stick to my strict routine. I made up the time I lost elsewhere. Now, I’ve written before about why I don’t like YOLO culture. But this is something different, I think. I often quite accidentally end up having a good laugh or having a good story to tell after something that is totally unexpected. And this doesn’t always just come from saying “yes” to everything and grabbing life by the horns. It’s more a case of embracing what life offers you. You don’t have to change your commitments, or your personality. I’m not saying, go bungee jumping because you only live once, I’m just saying, relax a little and don’t put off things that do attract you just because they come a little bit out of the blue.

Maybe I’m having these thoughts not just because I was recently reminded that the show in question was going to be aired soon, but because I crashed my car yesterday and I’m also recently single. These events combined have really caused me to consider that focusing and planning every day to the point where you’re stopping interesting things from happening can’t be good for you. Some people will argue that the best plan is no plan because that’s how the best stories are told. Just before COVID, I went on a completely impromptu trip to the Lake District, met some mad people, and basically got over my fear of (slightly) long drives. It wasn’t planned, and it was great. However, I’m not arguing that it’s great to have no plan. When I was sat with my friend that very day in the pouring rain in the middle of the night, and indeed the middle of nowhere, with two dead phones, I wouldn’t say that the best plan is no plan, no matter how good the stories might be (we made it).

Indeed, a very different perspective on the idea of “the best plan is no plan” is demonstrated in the movie ‘Parasite’ when the father character, after all his efforts and schemes to better his family, ends up homeless and desolate and tells his son that the best plan is no plan at all. That’s the opposite end of the spectrum, and of course about characters that are victims of societal unfairness, but it still rings true.

But this doesn’t mean abandon your commitments, and your routine. If you genuinely think “I’d love to but…” then you’d love to. Don’t be afraid to veer off the beaten track to investigate something you might enjoy, even if you don’t really have time, because none of us have time for anything, to be honest.