Just another Friday

There are days you will not soon forget in your life.

Last Friday was a day I rather forget, but that’s probably not going to happen.

You’re reading this post today, the following Friday. A lot has happened in between, so the news is old.

But the memory is still very fresh.

The day really started with a traditional Xmas lunch with a group of Dutch friends living and working in Prague.

Some are already here for more than 20 years. Others are ‘in and outers,’ as we call the expats who come and go.

Last Friday was also another day in the World Cup. Brasil-Croatia and Netherlands-Argentina.

My intention in the morning was to watch both games at home. I had let my family know. I did not take my phone charger. 

The primary reason being that I like to watch football in a smaller group.

When you watch in a pub, you get people that have no interest in try watching the game.

It’s background noise to them, and they’re background noise to me. 

Beware the occasional pub visitor who has no interest in watching football and engages in dumb questions. 

Sorry. I am just being honest here.

The other reason is self-defense.

A great lunch with great friends, great food, and great wine is a trigger.

I enjoy the company. I enjoy the conversation. I enjoy the camaraderie. And the wine as well.

But there’s a moment it’s time to go home. Especially when your team is playing.

Long story short.

I didn’t go home. 

I did not stick to my plan. 

That’s the key lesson here.

I watched the afternoon game with Brasil in the restaurant, still deliberating about going home. 

Then there was the moment of truth. 

The wine had done its job. 

It didn’t take much convincing to have me join (part of) the group to watch the match in an Irish pub.

The game happened in a blur.

I had fun with friends. I tried to wake up the place a little because it was timid.

I talked to a friend in Australia who was just having breakfast. We like watching football together.

So much emotion between us.

We lost, came back in the last seconds, held on, and lost the penalty shoot-out.

Drama.

Time to go home.

Friends said goodbye, I ordered an Uber, and then my phone ran out of battery. 

I never got to see which car was going to pick me up. I waited for a little, but no car arrived.

I never have a lot of cash on me because I pay with my phone. I probably could have convinced a regular taxi to drive me home and pay then, but I had a Plan B.

Plan B was to take the metro and bus home. It was not that late yet.

The metro worked out fine, but I made a mistake with the bus. The bus line was recently extended and now passes our house, but not the last bus. It stopped in the village before ours.

I still got on the bus, thinking I would convince the driver to keep going. Our house is on the way to the bus garage.

The driver had different plans.

So after a lunch of over 11 hours, there was nothing left to do but walk home. Two cars passed me, but they were not interested in a hitchhiker.

It was a sobering walk after an emotional day.

The following day when I woke up, my wife greeted me with the words:

“Great game, honey.”

Friends. Food. Fun. Football. 

A Friday (not) to remember.

Your turn: when was the last you didn’t stick to your plan? 

Do more of what makes you happy!

Erikjan