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A forecast is a reasonable prediction of what will happen in the future. Most notably, the word forecast is associated with the weather. This is evident when I googled the word in order to make sure that I had an accurate definition and instead, I learned what the weather was going to be like for the next few days. However, not to be distracted from my Google search, this column is, indeed, about forecasting the weather … Or is it?
Being in a business where outside dining and events are a frequent occurrence, I am often asked to predict the weather. Because of this, I have the weather app handy on my iPhone and can, within seconds, respond with a relatively accurate, hourly prediction, of the weather at my workplace, my home, New York (a frequent day trip) and our favorite city in Germany. I don’t mind predicting the weather and often feel quite confident in my skills in combining a day forecast with the hourly forecast and the live radar. The problem is, that I cannot, with any certainty, render an accurate prediction for a time frame which is beyond a period of 36 hours. In other words, if you want to plan an outdoor event 6 months from now, you better have a Plan B!
Life does not always go as planned but we rarely, if ever, take this into account and prepare an alternate plan like we would do if we were planning an outdoor event? Of course, a wedding celebration is one of the most significant events in a lifetime, but even a simple cookout is offered with a backup plan in place such as an umbrella for the grill master and seating around the kitchen table. So why don’t we do this with our more everyday tasks and events, like picking out an outfit? I could settle on outfit A for an event, but, if I develop a blister on a 3-mile walk, rendering the chosen shoes painful, I could always plan for a more comfortable, outfit B choice. This could save me not only so much time when I discover the painful blister before getting dressed, but also, increase my self-esteem because I am proud that I thought ahead and planned for an alternative. Likewise, I may plan to watch a particular movie one evening but find that because I spent an hour on the phone chatting with a friend, I am me too tired to start a movie. Rather than feeling disappointed, I could follow my Plan B and spend an hour catching up on a reality show I recorded several days earlier.
Of course, not all disappointments or adjustments in life can be planned for, rendering the option of a known Plan B almost impossible to predict. It is easy to run inside when it begins to rain, but much more challenging to head down a path you may never have even considered. But then again, a Plan B may, in some cases, turn out even better than you could have ever been able to imagine!
Predict? Predict?
Kathy Naumann, possessor of NATURALLY curly hair and the understanding that you can’t control everything!
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