You can tell when someone’s prepared, can’t you? And can’t you just as easily draw a line separating those in your life who are always prepared from those who aren’t.
I was reminded of this as I read the various quotes about John Callaway following the news of his death this morning. Those who knew John knew how thoroughly he liked to prepare, especially when it came to what he was most famous for: the interviews he did on Channel 11. Carol Marin, in particular, spoke with great reverence about John’s willingness to go to any length to prepare for one of his interviews.
Although I met him only once, John was somebody I bet I would’ve liked. I’ve always admired people who prepare, who like to be ready for any outcome, who put in the time up front to enhance the chances of a positive outcome. My folks were the ultimate preparers, and I learned a lot from them. They were constantly thinking one or two moves ahead–preparation by anticipation, I like to call it–whether it was something as simple as a visit to the doctor (my dad always wrote down a handful of questions he wanted to ask) or as substantial as saving for their two sons’ college education (they were always doing cost estimates, right down to the penny). They lived by the rule that it was much better to be over-prepared than under-prepared. I feel the same way.
There have been lots of famous quotations featuring the word “preparation.” My favorite comes from John Wooden, who was a legendary basketball coach at UCLA: “Failing to prepare is preparing to fail. Now, in some cases, the other fellow is just better than you are, and that’s no failure.”
