It turns out that the 25th of May is international … or perhaps intergalactic … Towel Day. Who knew? The holiday, which is in its 8th year of observance, apparently developed as a tribute to the late sci-fi writer Douglas Adams, author of the famed Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy series, who died of a heart attack in May, 2001.
I mention it here because Douglas Adams and all his colorful characters, from Ford Prefect to Zaphod Beeblebrox, were such wonderful advocates and role models for successfully navigating the unpredictable and uncharted aspects of life and the universe. (Or, as a the third book in the series would phrase it, Life, The Universe, and Everything.)
For starters, one could argue that Adams envisioned the very first Kindle, because the iconic “Hitchhiker’s Guide” itself was:
“a device that looked rather like a largish electronic calculator … on which any one of a million ‘pages’ could be summoned at a moment’s notice…. The reason why it was published in the form of a micro sub meson electronic component is that if it were printed in normal book form, an interstellar hitchhiker would require several inconveniently large buildings to carry it around in.”
In those million pages, the Guide has any number of wise pieces of advice for hitchhikers (and anyone facing a somewhat uncertain future because of unexpected events like, say, the destruction of Earth and life as they knew it). First and foremost is the admonition “DON’T PANIC” on its front cover. But second on the list is to always carry a towel. Hence “Towel Day.” Why a towel? The Guide lists many reasons … some practical, and some psychological. A towel, it points out, can be useful for warmth, for cover, for attracting attention in emergencies and, yes, even for drying yourself off. But carrying your own towel also sends a message to any potential ride-givers that you’re not panicked or desperate. As the Guide puts it:
“What the [non-hitchhiker] will think is that any man who can hitch the length and breadth of the Galaxy, rough it, slum it, struggle against terrible odds, win through and still know where his towel is, is clearly a man to be reckoned with.”
Interstellar hitchhikers don’t know what the future holds, or even how they’re going to get there. But they know to carry a towel. A simple item, but one that offers a creative solution to a myriad of unpredictable problems they’ll face—and speaks to an admirable way of navigating through them. Which is to say, with flexibility, creativity, and humor—and without panicking or forgetting the basics that really matter. Like … knowing where your towel is.
Think life is uncertain now? At least Earth hasn’t just been destroyed to make way for an intergalactic highway. And we’re not about to get punched out of an airlock on an unfriendly Vogon construction ship. Things could be worse, as even a quick scan of Adams’ delightful books makes very clear. They also present a great model for embracing the terrific, vast possibilities that exist in the universe, as long as you don’t let a little uncertainty faze you.
But in any event, the Guide’s advice is worth heeding: Don’t Panic. Keep a towel nearby. Stay flexible. Keep an eye out for opportunities as they present themselves. Keep a sense of humor about it all. And then figure out the rest … one step, or highly improbable intergalactic leap, at a time.
(Image from Flickr user markbult)
