Just How Hard Is It? Really, Tell Me. I Need To Know.

There are people who plan and there are people who do not plan. The planners get irate, stressed out, freaked, annoyed, angry (or any other great word) when the non-planners don’t have a plan for anything. I am a planner, my husband is not. This has become a major issue for me mostly because he won’t tell me what he is thinking or how we are going to do something when he really doesn’t know. I understand the reasoning that “you can’t plan for everything”, but that isn’t exactly true.

I have multiple examples to back this up:

1. Pregnancy: If you do not want a bun in the oven then you have options. These options are called contraceptives. If a contraceptive turns out to be faulty then you can do three things: a. have an abortion, b. put the baby up for adoption, c. decide on taking care of the child yourself. If a teenager can think of these, then clearly an adult can.

2. Death: If you die you also have options. You can just leave all your debt and woes on the survivors. You can set up your lot in the cemetery, set up a will, set up a way for the debts to be paid, and even set up how you want your possessions separated. This shows that even the dead can plan things out.

3. Weather: If your area is prone to: Tornadoes= get a cellar that is deep underground, with provisions. Hurricanes= get sandbags for those pesky doors. Get plenty of water and food. Have a generator handy for the irritating lack of electricity. Flooding= get insurance, have a pump for your house, and possibly find the appropriate level of the water when you think it’s the best to evacuate. Earthquakes= have provisions ready. Secure furniture to the walls. And even stand at a door jamb if it happens.

4. Intruders: Have an alarm system that only you know the password to. Have a guard dog. Or even, have a weapon.

5. Rape: Scream “FIRE”. Learn self-defense. Have pepper spray or something to protect yourself with (i.e. my daddy had me hold onto a rusty screwdriver and told me to aim for the eye and leave it there).

6. Injury: Learn CPR. Call 911. Have a First Aid Kit nearby.

7. Fire: Have an escape route figured out. Have a working extinguisher. Call 911 at a neighbors house.

NOTE: If you have children, include them in the plans. Treat it like a game so that they won’t be too bored to forget or too scared. When it comes to the weather, it may be best to revise the plan that best suits the needs of your children.

These are just 7 things that may not be preventable, but you will at least know what you are doing. Sure, for most non-planners this is common sense and the planners will think so too, but non-planners, you need to realize that with stressful times it is helpful for you to tell the planner you live with or know what you plan on doing. It doesn’t need to be extensive. It doesn’t need to be completely up to par. But you do have to make one and stand by your decisions or else the planner will feel not validated as a person. If you have a problem making a plan, have the planner make it and then talk it over if there is something that just doesn’t work for you, but you HAVE TO TALK IT OUT.

Really, just how hard is it? Tell me. I need to know.