Act Now

By Thad Plumley

As I walked the rim of Crater Lake at Crater Lake National Park in Oregon, I kept thinking, “Dad would
have loved this.”

A bittersweet feeling was one of several emotions inside of me as I recently took in the stunning beauty of the national park for the first time.

Awe was certainly there as I tried to come up with words to describe the amazingly blue water of the world’s deepest volcanic lake. Happiness was one as well as my wife and I visited a park we have wanted to see for years.

But sadness was close to the surface the whole time too. We planned the trip last fall when we found out my father had always wanted to see the lake and that Oregon was just one of two states he had never visited.

“We’ll go this coming summer,” I told him happily, “and then we’ll take out Rhode Island the next year.”

However, his national tour has ended at 48 states. A diagnosis of stage IV esophageal cancer firmly
saw to that. The trip went from one where I couldn’t wait to get a picture of him in front of the lake to one
where I texted him pictures and called him while taking in the view.

It was nice. A sweet moment I’ll always remember. But it wasn’t the same.

The experience has been a reminder to never put things off. If you have items on your to-do list—well, by all means, do them.

It’s easy to fall into feeling there will be another summer or a more convenient time for a family trip or whatever resides on your list of goals. But trust me. You really never know what life has around the corner.

And while checking off unforgettable experiences on your personal list is fun, don’t forget about your business list. Look at the to-do’s you’ve had on your desk for ages and promptly start checking them off. After all, if you have a chance to make a significant impact on your company—you can’t afford to delay it.

So, if you’re a manufacturer, and you’ve been wanting to roll out a new, updated version of a product, what are you waiting for?

If you’re a supplier, and you’re confident a second location in an underserved area could grow your business, let’s go.

If you’re a contractor and you’ve wanted to diversify into geothermal drilling or water treatment, there’s nothing stopping you.

If you’ve thought you have the business for another crew and a new rig; again, go for it.

Don’t delay. When you look back on your memories someday, you want them filled with joy and happiness, not bittersweet wishes you acted sooner.

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Thad Plumley is the editor of WWJ and the director of publications for the National Ground Water Association. He can be reached at tplumley@ngwa.org, or (800) 551-7379, ext. 1594.