What Are You Preparing For? by Bravo Echo
As we live through these turbulent times, a question that I hear often is, "what are you preparing for?" Great question, right? There's probably a thousand different answers one could answer. Sure, there will always be at least one who laughs or raises an eye brow to your response. There is never the perfect answer. Does it really matter what the answer you provide is? Preparedness is the insurance policy we all strive to achieve. There is the basic policy, the term policy, and the expanded policy. How much time, money and effort are you willing and capable of putting in to your policy? It would be possible for the person holding the advanced preparedness plan to smile at the person holding the basic preparedness plan. Why? We are human. And because we are human, we decide what degree of risk we want to assume. Some will assume a lot and some will assume little. The risk may be perceived in different ways at different levels and also based on the person's ability to perceive different threats to the individual and their family. Right? Sure, we know this because we see it all the time.
We encounter the folks with maximum knowledge of preparedness and little preparedness effort made to do what they tell others they should be doing. Then we encounter the person who has minimal financial ability but has the mindset and desire to take all preparedness steps to be prepared. Then we have person who prepares because they like hanging out with like-minded people who prepare. This person does what they see others doing, nothing more and nothing less. How about the person who wants to do more but their spouse isn't onboard so they are very limited to no preparedness measures or a minimal amount because their spouse likes it. That could be collecting guns and ammo to go to the range. Then we have the person who laughs at the one preparing. These are the same folks who spat and cuss FEMA when they fail to deliver meals door-to-door during a disaster. How about the person who attends preparedness meetings for years and never takes a step forward to prepare resources yet they have a brain full of reasons why they should prepare? It is like they are frozen in time physically. There are all types and different reasons to answer the "why" question.
Truthfully, at the end of the day, does it really matter what others are doing outside of your family or team? We want to hear about progress and results. My theory has always been helping others and for every person we help, it is one less family to knock at our door wanting the last cracker that a family member is eating....because the person at the door failed to prepare. Sure, it is irritating beyond words, but at the end of the day, what matters? Each of us will have to answer that question within our own mind and heart. All we can do is share the information and hope for the best. Right Festus? If we had $1 for every hour we have discussed on this specific topic, we could buy enough food to supply every reader for six months each. Why? How come? I don't get it. It doesn't make sense. That blows my mind. I think we have heard it all.
I could probably write a book just on the cool answers I hear from folks. I call them cool because a part of me doesn't want to believe people think this way, but they do. It is a personal choice and I am not degrading or belittling them on how they think. We are just different. Ms. Lucy can tell you, there's lots of things I won't buy because of want vs need. But, the one thing I will not find myself short on is food. I have food stuffed all over the place. I don't like seeing other people hungry and I won't allow my household to be hungry. It doesn't mean one eats all the time. But food is available. Having grown up hungry as a kid, I promised myself many years ago if I ever reached a point where I could make sure our house never went hungry, I would do so and equally would do what I could do to help those outside our home who are hungry. I was once told "if something happens I will put on my sidearm and go buy what I need." Really? How cool is that. That would be super cool actually.
Think about it, this one armed individual with maybe ten rounds is about to head to the market with 250 other people on the same mission, to get the last ice cream, bread and milk to last a few weeks. That would equate to about one round per 25 people. It doesn't take into consideration the other people who maintain the same thought process. I have also heard "I don't worry about it because the Lord will provide." Yes He will provide, but I can tell you as a witness, during the tornadoes we endured in northern Alabama back in 2011, I did not see the Lord driving door to door in His Noah Express boat delivering pizzas to the unprepared. There is some self-responsibility in this process. I have also been told "I don't prepare because when the time comes, I will break in to the homes of Preppers and take their stuff." Really? Do you get my point I am making here? Good, let's move ahead. I like the way you all think.
So to you, the individual, I ask you this question. What are you preparing for? Based on the world, the nation, your geographic location, and skills, what would be the top five threats to you, in order? Are you building your plans around this list of threats? Sure, I also believe in keeping some areas generic to maintain some level of flexibility but my risk assessment laid out the top three to five areas I should give more focus. Bottom line, what would be the most likely threat to me and my family. What do I mean. Based on my geographic location, the most likely threat would be a tornado. So I put together supplies need to survive the aftermath of a tornado. Food, water, candles, batteries, security against looting....
We always have back packs packed to bug out as needed. On the generic side of other possible threats, we secured suits, gloves, mask, face shields, booties, and other items in the event of a pandemic type event like coronavirus. They have been stored for ten years. Not needed. Now, we have the coronavirus outbreak and we still do not need them, but the risk level has escalated and we have them. Stores are sold out of mask and other needed equipment. See my point? Our pre-planning is our insurance policy and it could pay off if things continue to spread. If I never need them for a pandemic, I can always use the gear for painting and sanding around the house. But, we have the equipment. Early on in the coronavirus outbreak, I leaned forward and procured additional mask and suits as backup suits. One is none and two is one. If you read my book, Hope For Survival, you may remember me discussing the mindset. Information is knowledge. Ninety percent of preparedness is awareness. What you know is power. How you use that information is up to you and the difference in surviving or possibly dying.
The most important question I want to ask you is this. If you are not preparing for the worst, what are you preparing for? Yes, something is better than nothing and I also respect the fact that some can do more than others. My question is not something I want the reader to answer out loud. I want the reader to think about it and evaluate their own preparedness level and is it where they want to be. Just like life insurance takes care of the family after the parent dies. If something happens to you during a disaster, does your preparedness policy protect your family? Does it have to be a natural or manmade disaster? Does it matter? A disaster is anything that impacts your day to day way of life.
I work with a young man (30) with special needs. He lives on his own but his parents are caretakers for him. He can't drive or manage money. He is fairly dependent on his parents if it involves anything outside of a simple task. His father recently went down and required heart surgery. The mother doesn't work. The young man was telling me how his father would be out of work for a while and his parents wouldn't have any income. The young man was concerned about it and how he would try to help them with his earnings from his job. If this family was in to preparedness, they would have needed resources to eat and water to drink. This would cover the basic staples for staying alive and not costing money right now. This would take a huge burden off the family. A while back I came across a story about a fund raiser for of a hunter who crossed a fence and his rifle got tangled and went off. The hunter was hit and paralyzed from the waist down. He was the single income earner in the family of five. Imagine how much better things could have been initially for the basics in life had the family stored extra beans, rice, soup, and other inexpensive foods. Yes, I realize it is easier said than done in many cases. That is why those who prepare are in the 5% to 10% group of society.
I ask the question again, if you are not preparing for the worst, what are you preparing for? And, have you completed plans to support your mindset on what you will do or does your mindset follow your plans? Good luck!!!
Blessings,
Bravo Echo Out
