It's been planned for a while, but I finally booked a flight to Scotland. Ouch, what a pricey ticket! I'm relieved. It's been a long time since I crossed the Atlantic. Now, on to the other half dozen things whirling unsettled through my head. But, at least the internal din is diminished because something's been decided.

 

I always have lots of plans, each with contingencies, possibilities, synergies, hopes and concerns. I like to think ahead. I also like spontaneity. My plans are in pencil, and readily changed. Plans are good, but it's possible to have too much of a good thing. Lately, long latent plans became lively. Each claimed some corner of my mind, both consciously and subconsciously. My brain was tired. I was tired. Maybe that's why the first thing my brain settled on was a vacation.

 

There's a balance in the world between immediate action and careful consideration. Emergency crews work immediately, though prefaced by lots of considered training. Consideration is useful, but it can become a trap, or a reason to become a monk, if it never encounters action. Thinking and acting go together and make a life.

 

A friend and I have had long conversations about the world, trends, inventions, businesses, and art projects. We've worked on a few, but most are merely engaging topics that are passed between us over tea or beer. Whenever someone else actually acts on one, we mock a grimace and proclaim, "Hey, that was our idea!" Ah, we could be rich men with everything we've imagined. Or, we could be poorer because we tried and failed. It is all moot. We both lead lives that are already full enough. The reason we haven't chased most of those dreams is because our time and money are already busy.

 

There are plenty of plans that people make, or sketches of dreams that they consider, that percolate incessantly. Some day I'll do this. Some day I'll do that. If only I had the time. If only I had the money. I have plenty of them myself.

 

Occasionally, the percolating has gone on long enough and I finally pour the idea into a reality, even if it isn't quite right or ready. I wanted to do the Scotland trip after certain wealth had accumulated, and when the season was just right. Well, summer is passing here in the northern hemisphere, this is the ten year anniversary of my bike ride across America, my finances are improving, and my desire for a vacation has become a need. Time to get out the credit card. (I hate doing that.)

 

The same sort of thing happens throughout life. Waiting until everything is just right might make for perfect plans, but it can agonize a brain by storing too many possibilities. Making decisions makes room for a quieter mind.

 

Ever since I bought stock in Dendreon (DNDN), I realized that it and another of my holdings (Microvision MVIS), had a lot of potential, but that they probably wouldn't realize it at the same time. Dendreon went first. Once upon a time they were both under $5. MVIS still is. DNDN is above $40 now. If they both succeed, there will be some optimum time when selling a little DNDN will buy a lot of MVIS right before MVIS starts its climb (assuming that happens eventually). There's no way to know if it will happen, or when's the best time to make that trade. I just took the first step this morning. As I type this, one share of DNDN is worth 18 shares of MVIS. If I waited a bit more, maybe the ratio would hit 20, or 30, or I could agonize over it until it was too late. So, 18 is a good enough number, and I can get on to considering other things.

 

Life is perfectly imperfect. We can count on the imperfections always being there. Plans can be made in a perfect world, but actions happen out there were chaos flavors reality.