Of This And That . . .

We’re still dealing with the aftermath of a huge winter storm that came through here last Tuesday and Wednesday morning.

I think some people are confusing “being prepared” with controlling Mother Nature. I’ve seen a lot of talk about how the areas involved weren’t prepared because the power is out and the roads are closed. Um — there was a big storm. “Being prepared” doesn’t mean putting a dome over the state and thwarting the storm!

Being prepared means — on an individual level — that you have bottled water, a source of heat, and food you can actually use when the power goes out! It doesn’t mean the power won’t go out.

This storm wasn’t a big surprise. There were weather reports about it for days before it hit. And yet? There was still news footage about people lined up in front of Wal-Mart the day after, looking for bottled water and generators.

From comments that other people have made on some of the forums I read, I’m getting the impression that they think “being prepared” means that someone else should make sure they have power and water and food when something like this hits.

I’m a pessimist. Yes, it’s one of the things that I’m trying to work on. But it appears that a “Murphy” attitude is a good thing to have when things like this come up. I will only say that we were as prepared as we could be for the storm that came through this past week. Yes, we’ve done without — and I still can’t get my car out of the driveway. Even if I could, our road is impassible without 4-wheel drive.

It would appear from some of the feedback I’ve received to my comments on other forums that people think I have an “every man for himself” attitude about these things. That couldn’t be further from the truth.

For instance, I have heat here when the power goes out. Many of my neighbors do not. Would I tell them to go away when it’s cold at night because they didn’t think to find an alternative heat source when the power goes out? Of course not! On the other hand, I don’t have a 4-wheel drive vehicle, but several of my neighbors do, and one of them just ran me to the store this morning.

If everyone does what they *can* do, then your neighbors will have what you don’t, and vice versa. So then everyone can help in their own way.

But “being prepared” doesn’t mean sitting on your butt and praying that the storm won’t really be “that bad.” “Being prepared” means assuming it will be worse.