“Let’s Make a Plan”
Guest Article by NRP & Blue, February 22, 2021.
Part One of Four
Good Day everyone, yes tis Monday again, time for something to read/do.
Here is a question that I ask a LOT of folks…
“Do you have a Plan for If/When?”
Honestly, l always get the question back is “Huh, what do you mean ‘If/When’”. Always a good question, so think about it…..
Do you have a Plan if/when the car breaks down when you’re out and about?
If you slice open your finger when cooking, nick yourself with a Chainsaw?
How about if you forgot to order Propane and you run out and it’s snowing 2 feet?
If the World goes all to ‘heck’ (yes I cleaned that up HAHAHA) and you’re caught without (you name it)?
How about if a Pandemic (Covid-19) hits and the stores have a run on them and you can’t buy TP (you do remember the bare shelves a year ago, Right?)?
Does it really matter what of the millions of “Ohhhh Poop” happens? You need a Plan to take care of yourself, your Family, and your Dog; WHEN an emergency hits.
So let’s explore a few items on this “Making a Plan”, and yes there is a LOT if things you may want on your Plan…. I’m just trying to get you started thinking.
First and foremost, are you and your Family “safe”, where are they? Plan on how to get them home if they are out and about, School maybe, Wife/Husband at work, Parents that need assistance? This should be the very first thing at the top of every list you’re going to make.
As I said, there is a LOT of things to think about when first starting. BUT you need to get started if you want to be prepared for ‘Texas Feb. 2021’ coming to your neighborhood.
Sooooo, Get a Pad & Pencil and start writing things down. Hen Scratching is fine; just start getting idea/thoughts on paper. Make a ‘List’ or 3 dozen if needed.
Seriously get a Pad and Pencil…… I’ll wait……..
Ok, you ready to start writing “stuff” down.
Here is the first “list” I suggest you make..
What “CAN” happen to cause your “If/When”, seriously, make a list for things like…
1. Pandemic, we all know that one now
2. Server weather, Ask Texas and other places about that one
3. Economic problems, Hyper Inflation, Job Loss, Retirement
4. How about an Accident, you can’t do anything around the house
5. House Fire or Wildfire that runs you away from home
6. Electrical Failure, EMP, CME, Cyber Attack
7. The water system is contaminated from ”Lead Pipes”.
Just start writing things down that may affect you. After you have convinced yourself you have enough, sort them in order of “probability”.
Here in the Four Corners we’ll probably NOT have a Hurricane, but very well can have dozens of other “Problems” to concern ourselves about.
Ok, now you have that list, what will it take to “prepare” for them? You will find that many MANY will cross over. So don’t get all “OMG” and start to go nuts on me here, this is PLANING 101.
Let’s explore a few things that can and very well help:
1. Do you have Water saved up?
2. Food stored?
3. A way to stay Warm?
4. A generator?
5. Security?
6. Secondary Toilet Facilities?
7. Light, Communications, entertainment (for the little ones)?
8. A way to cook food without Power?
9. On and On and On.
Next: Get on the Internet and do a BUNCH of research, there are a million and one list of “what to store first” what to do, and how. Write Ideas down……
One suggestion, start writing down everything you use for one month. This will give you a GREAT starting point on the Food, water, gas, electrical and Other Items you may want to store up a little of. Put TP on the List HAHAHAH
Again there are a lot of suggestions out there AND on this BLOG, Connie has and is doing a great job in this aspect. Read what she has, great place to start.
Make a Plan on where you will go if you can’t stay home (maybe a house fire or ??), a BOL as some call it, but maybe a friend’s home, or a neighbor’s house where EVERYONE knows to go there if you get separated.
Are you ready for what happened in Texas this past week? Think about it, 4-5 million homes without Power OR water, and below freezing weather. I wonder how many had a Plan in place for that.
Do you remember last year when the Hurricanes hit FL?
How about the Wildfires in CA just last year?
I never said this would be easy….. But consider the alternative: doing “without” for a few weeks, months, maybe a Year???????
The Point???? Please start thinking on how to “Do for Yourself” a LOT of times there may not be “Help” just up the road, Remember; it took FEMA 5 day to get people water after Katrina Hit. How long will it take for TX to recover and where is the Help? Remember when Porta Rico was wiped off the map?
Please think about the old saying, “Failing to Plan, is Planning to Fail”.
I’m going to make this a several part Article, BECAUSE this is very Very VERY important.
