Does this illustrate the value of contingency planning, though? It doesn't seem as though the author had any prior experience tracking down a thief, or that sh

Does this illustrate the value of contingency planning, though? It doesn't seem as though the author had any prior experience tracking down a thief, or that she was executing a pre-existing plan when she eventually needed to. Instead, she relied on her adaptability and her general base of knowledge to deal with a new contingency as it arose, without advance preparation. If anything, the lesson here is to maintain your capacity to decide and act on the fly, and make use of whatever opportunities the situation affords, instead of trying to predict the unpredictable.