An Unexpected Memory

Written by Matt Clarke | November 4, 2025

I knew I was pushing it, but in my head, the timing worked out perfectly. I had intended to leave the office about 30 minutes before we did, but I got sidetracked and knew I had baked in a little flexibility to the schedule. Barring any major traffic or dog issues, we had just enough time to get home, let Louie out, grab our suitcases, and make our flight.

We pulled into the airport parking garage at exactly one hour before take-off. Perfect! After driving around a bit to find a spot, we pulled in, and while I sat there for a few seconds responding to something on the screen of distraction, my wife, Susan, hopped out to grab her bag. She opened the trunk and said with curiosity, “Why did you put the bags in the back seat?”

When I heard that, I thought…"Huh? I don’t remember putting the bags in the…Oh snap! The luggage." I forgot the luggage… Ummm...

"Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity, but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty." (Proverbs 21:5)

I rushed through our plan, not fully focused on the task at hand. I was distracted by my phone the entire time we were home, hurrying through what needed to be done and not paying attention to little details like putting the luggage in the car. And it cost me. It cost me a trip home in rush hour traffic. It cost me two new last-minute flights to a different airport than we intended to fly to because they were the only ones available within driving distance of where we needed to be the next morning. It cost me a very expensive Uber ride. And it cost me a healthy deposit into my humiliation account.

Just having a good plan isn’t good enough. You have to actually execute the plan and focus on what’s important. Hastily doing anything will lead to unexpected costs and mistakes. Slow down, stay focused, do whatever you do with excellence, or be prepared to pay the price.

The best part of the story for me is that Susan and I have learned together to live by the conviction of doing the next right thing. And she’s super patient with me as I’ve given us a lot of opportunities to hone that skill. After laughing at yet another situation we’ve affectionately given a nickname to inside the family, we just rolled with it and created another unexpected (albeit costly) memory.

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