Imagining the worst

My wife tends to catastrophize, imagining all the disasters that could happen. 
In a few days we are going on a short vacation trip to an historic town in southern Oregon, and we are going to try to go light, with just a backpack each for our few spare clothes and toiletries. This afternoon, as we were driving toward the library, she said, "I was planning to just wear a pair of sandals and not take any extra shoes. But what if we are out, perhaps at dinner at a restaurant, and one of my sandals breaks? Then I would have to walk barefoot back to the hotel room, and I might step on some glass or a nail. And I wouldn't have any shoes to walk anywhere the next day, so I would have to walk barefoot to the car so that we could drive to a larger city with a department store that had shoes. But then I would have to walk barefoot into the store, and they might stop me at the door and not let me in with bare feet. You might have to go inside and see if they had a wheelchair, so you could wheel me from the car into the shoe section of the store to buy a new pair. But if they didn't have a wheelchair, you would have to measure my feet and write down what brands, colors, and styles I like, and buy a pair for me to try. But if I didn't like them, then you would have to go back in and return them. And what if they didn't have any that fit me or any that I liked?"

See what I mean?

John, carry a few zip ties for her sandal

Too funny! Don't forget the spare car.

That is funny John, thanks for sharing. I got a good chuckle from it

Haha that's a lot of what ifs, funny story.

As someone who has lived for over 7 decades, I know from experience that "stuff happens". 

Although I am retired now, during the later half of my career, I traveled by car and airplane all over the country. When traveling by car, I always carried more than I needed for the trip as I never knew what might happen along the way. When flying, I always carried enough for the planned trip plus one extra day. There were many times my schedule got changed in route or flights got cancelled due to weather or maintenance issues and I had to stay an extra day, thankful that I was prepared.

Thus, unless there is a pressing need to pack light, it is usually good to carry a few items you hope you won't need. If you have to pack light, make sure you plan carefully so you have everything you need.

Once I drove 500 miles to my destination only to learn that I left my garment bag with my clean shirts and trousers on the hook at home. I had to find the nearest department store to purchase replacements. It was a dumb thing for me to do, but I never made that same mistake again. Always have a recovery plan, sooner or later you will need it.

Latest update: We go on a lot of short (4-6 day) trips and stay in hotels or Air B&Bs, and we like to take along two or three recorded DVD movies to watch in the evening. We stay stay in hotels or Air B&B houses, where sometimes there is no DVD player - and my wife is afraid that even if there is one, it might not work. So she insisted that I buy a small, portable DVD player via Amazon to take in our backpack or suitcase, just in case.

She is worried now by the fact that she can see my wallet sometimes in the back pocket of my pants, and she is afraid my pocket will be picked. So she is insisting that any new pants I buy from now on will have a button tab pocket closure.

John, convince yourself that she cares. Can you move the wallet? Maybe go to a different style for the move?

I hate "stuff" in my pockets and carry everything in a cross slung pack now. Lotsa stuff. When I have the pack in the kiddy seat in a shopping cart the wife and I handle it like the nuclear football. My point is that maybe getting her involved will help?

John, convince yourself that she cares. Can you move the wallet? Maybe go to a different style for the move?

I hate "stuff" in my pockets and carry everything in a cross slung pack now. Lotsa stuff. When I have the pack in the kiddy seat in a shopping cart the wife and I handle it like the nuclear football. My point is that maybe getting her involved will help?

I'm not actually complaining. I appreciate her attention and care, and my posts are just wry musings.