Preparedness

I have a picnic-enabled car. My car's trunk ALWAYS has the following in it:
1. One El Grande Travel Table.
2. Two Coordinating Travel Chairs.
3. A basket with : paper plates, napkins, paper cups, paper towels, handi-wipes, plastic forks/knives/spoons , a tablecloth, a can opener, a corkscrew, a paring knife, a pair of scissors, some plastic trash bags, a few ziplock bags.
4. A set of binoculars and a good birding guide.
5. At least one unread book.
6. The cooler, while not in the car, is in the garage, very near the car.

At the drop of a hat I can throw some munchies in a bag or stop off at a market and BINGO, it is instant picnic time. I do not have to prepare more than a few minutes.

The reason for this, is that if I had to prepare everything, I wouldn't do it -- or I would find myself in some lovely area and think -- "If only I had a table..." or "It only I had picnic stuff.." or "If I could just set up a chair and read."

I love the spontenaity this affords to my friends and me. In fact just yesterday a friend and I had a spontaneous picnic at Cheesequake State Park near where she lives. It was really quite splendid.

Today it has me thinking of how many ways my life may be prepared for sadness or emergency, compared to how I might additionally prepare it for joy. I have health insurance, car insurance, home insurance, a first aid kit, a fire extinguisher or two. I have a list of emergency numbers and people who know how to use them. I have a will, with an executor with a list of instructions. I have a health-care proxy with a primary and an alternate proxy. I have a living will. If I travel, people know my itinerary "just in case". I have fire alarms and CO2 alarms in my home. I even have a no-slip rubber mat in my shower. OK that is a lot on the emergency/sad side.

On the joy-readiness side I have a picnic kit.

I think I need more joy-preparedness in my life. Any ideas? "