The Argument Against Planning

In my last blog, I talked, probably too proudly, about Maxine and me as planners. Our reflex to always organize and plan served us in our work life. But, having said that, a very specific warning about overplanning comes to mind.

Years ago, we’d made plans to spend a weekend in Provence, France with our friend Bill. We had our checklists of sights, tour books, maps. After an afternoon’s sightseeing, we were headed back to the hotel (we, of course, had dinner reservations). Bill spotted a sign for the local olive oil cooperative and announced that he wanted to check it out. We didn’t, not particularly, but since Bill was driving…

It was fun. And the point of the story is this. Years ago Maxine and I had absolutely fallen in love with the idea of Provence, having read Peter Mayle’s book, “A Year In Provence”. If there had ever been a first motivation to visit the area, that book generated it! His lyrical stories about the food, the people, the land, intrigued us for many years and made us want to go.

And now after having finally been there (and reluctantly gone to the olive oil cooperative), I picked up the book to reread passages. I found one I’d forgotten – Mayle describing the same olive oil cooperative we’d nearly missed *because it wasn’t in our plans*.

Our planning had nearly gotten in the way of experiencing the very Provence that we’d dreamed about. Something to think about.