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Having one in the bank
Welcome to Stuff I Learned Yesterday. My name is Mark Des Cotes, I don’t know if this episode will ever be published, and I believe if you aren’t learning, you aren’t living. In today’s episode of Stuff I Learned Yesterday I talk about being prepared.
Today’s Fun Fact of the Day: Did you know that during your lifetime, you will produce enough saliva to fill two swimming pools. Anybody want to go for a dip?
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Here’s What I leaned yesterday.
Let me tell you a little secret. Today is Friday March 6th 2015. I’ve had a pretty full week and finished off a great client project this morning and sent the files off to the printer about an hour ago. I’m not really in the mood to start a new project on a Friday afternoon so I decided instead to compose a SILY episode.
I already know what I want to write about for Wednesday’s episode but today I’ve decided to take a different route. Like the Boy Scout motto “Be Prepared” I’m recording this episode today in order to have one “in the bank” if you will just in case one day something comes up and I can’t put out an episode. I was a cub scout by the way. Never made it to Boy Scouts.
So, as I’m composing this, I actually have no idea if anyone will ever hear it. But that’s ok, I’m just killing time until my daughter gets home from school. And if someday I do end up using this episode I’m sure I’ll be happy I had it in the bank.
My mother always instilled in me the importance of being prepared. As far as I can remember she always had full meals prepared and frozen just in case we had company. Should someone unexpected end up saying for supper she would just pop one in the oven and before we knew it we were eating a nice home cooked meal. In fact she always had enough prepared food on hand to feed a family reunion if it ever happened, and believe it or not, it actually did on several occasions. Every few weeks she would take one of the meals out for us to eat and replace it with something fresh.
It wasn’t just meals that she was on top of. My mother always kept a packed suitcase in the trunk of our car with clothes for herself, my dad and I. Just in case we ended up staying the night somewhere. Once again this came in handy on several occasions. We lived a couple of hours from some of my aunts and uncles and while visiting them, if my dad, not usually a heavy drinker, had a couple too many rye and cokes we would end up staying the night and have a fresh change of clothes in the morning. Every season she would repack the suitcase with appropriate attire.
Now I’m not as diligent as my mom for these things. But I do see the merit in being prepared. I don’t have a suitcase of clothes in my car or truck, but I do have a duffle bags with emergency provisions just in case I ever broke down somewhere. And I have had occasion to use it. I also have a special bank account that is just for emergencies and it as well has come in very handy in the past.
It’s like that diaper bag that every parent is familiar with. You pack it with so many things “just in case”. Most of them you probably wont need, but you feel so much better just knowing you have them with you. And should you find yourself in that unexpected situation you’ll be grateful that you thought ahead and were prepared.
And that idea of being prepared is reason why I decided to do this SILY episode.
There have been a few times in the past months when for one reason or another I haven’t started my episode until well past midnight on Tuesday in order to get it ready for Wednesday morning release. And on some of those occasions I really wished I could just go to bed and forget about composing and recording something. Of course I couldn’t. I made a commitment to this show and I wouldn’t want to let you guys down.
So maybe this episode will be used the next time I have one of those nights. Or I may use it in case of an emergency or something else. It’s also possible that nobody will ever hear this episode. I don’t know. But regardless, I’ll feel better just knowing I have it in the bank.
Here’s what I Learned
Peace of mind is a wonderful thing. It’s weird that as I’m finishing this I’m actually feeling a weight being lifted just by knowing I’ll have this episode in the bank and ready to call upon should I ever need it.
And just like my mother’s frozen meals, if I do someday publish this episode, I’ll probably end up writing another one and put it aside for possible future use.
Is there anything in your life that you could get ready today, just in case you may need it one day? Look around, I’m sure you can find something. Whatever it is, do it today and put it aside somewhere safe. If one day, down the road, that thing comes in handy or saves your but. You can send me a note and thank me.
I’m Mark Des Cotes, and this has been Stuff I Learned Yesterday.
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