Planning not to plan

I once read about a military man who said that planning was absolutely essential, but once on the battlefield you should throw your plan away. That might sound absurd, especially if you are the sort of person who prefers things to be completely premeditated. The problem with premeditation is that it murders spontaneity.

My son plays cricket for his school on Saturdays, he is a useful opening batsman and routinely takes his share of scalps when bowling. This morning I dropped him off at the field (I have to admit that I can't watch cricket,… 'mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun') and decided to return home by a different route, past the beach at Takapuna. The scene was idyllic; perfectly calm, sun sparkling on the water, people promenading along the sand. All in all a reminder of how lucky I am to live in Auckland. Which is not to say I don't like London, Paris and New York - they are wonderful places for different reasons. But this is a kind of paradise and one that I enjoy.

Having experienced the mood elevation of a stroll on the beach I made a terrible mistake. I bought the New Zealand Herald and was regaled with page after page of the disgusting story of the infamous police rapists.

And so it goes. Even paradise has its problems.

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