Well said! Some prefer to make fun of those who prepare, and others just prefer to prepare. Call it paranoia, but I won't be suffering like all those people in the NE. You can prepare for what you are able to prepare for, or just be a sheep. It blows my mind that there are people who carry a sidearm for protection from a bad guy, yet keep only two days of food in the house, or no provisions in the car. What's a higher likelihood...armed robbery or something like Sandy? I guess some just prefer to be partially prepared for things with a lower likelihood.chasfm11 wrote:What happened after Sandy is a tragedy. There are a lot of people suffering now. I'm praying for them.
But, like Katrina and the tornadoes in Alabama a couple of years ago, what is happening in the Northeast gives us some insight into what would happen in a similar disaster here. And, for the most part, many of those affected knew days in advance that it was likely to be bad. It is amazing to me that two days after the storm, some have no food. I do understand that some people lost their houses and whatever stored provisions that they had. But there appear to be many more just waiting around fro someone to come in and help them.
Here is a funny story. One of our preparedness group was in a Wal-Mart yesterday when it suddenly went completely dark in the middle of the day and for no apparent reason. As she reached into her pocket to retrieve her cell phone and confirm that it wasn't an EMP, she said that her mind was going through a set of actions - find the bikes and a trailer for her very young daughter, grab enough food to get them through a journey to their home. Stop by the car and grab her extra ammo. She reports that all went through her mind within a few seconds while everyone around her was still trying to determine what had happened. Thankfully, the generators kicked in shortly afterward and her cell phone confirmed that it was nothing serious. She reported her own surprise that her thoughts were calm but immediate.
For me, preparedness is the difference between the two mind sets. It is simply an extension of self-defense. I don't think its possible to have enough stuff in advance to prepare for any eventuality. Some might condemn the woman in my story above for being paranoid. I applaud her. She was prepared to take charge of her own survival and that of her daughter. Like all of us who run BG scenarios in our minds while walking in and out of stores, she was trying to mentally deal with a potentially bad situation. I think a population that thinks like she did is preferable to one that stands around and waits for the FEMA trucks but that is probably just me.
I think your first paragraph brings up a perfect example for the need for a bug out bag. You're sitting in your house and all of a sudden water stars pouring in. Is that the time to "pack some stuff up"? Nope...
Great post chasfm11
