Tuesday, September 06, 2005
Preparedness
After reading about the horrifying devastation in the South, I realized that I had no emergency preparedness plan. No supply of water or food or an escape plan in case there is a serious emergency. Since I have pets, my options for getting into an emergency shelter would be limited and in the event of an earthquake or other disaster, I could expect to be pretty much on my own.
So over the long weekend I bought a plastic bin and filled with supplies both for myself and the cats. I have also started gathering important paperwork to include copies in my emergency kit and to send to my mother, who lives out of state, for safekeeping. I also started a list of the things most precious to me, prioritized, so if I ever have just five minutes in which to evacuate I have a list so I won't be running around, wasting precious time prioritizing. (It was surprising how short that list is!) The bin now sits near the garage door, with a sleeping bag on top of it.
When I put the bin into place and marked my calendar for next Labor Day weekend to switch out water and food products, I felt an incredible sense of relief. I had done something about an issue that had been weighing on the back of my mind for years now. I could now let that go and make room for other things to contemplate. This has inspired me to start looking at other little nagging issues so I can get them resolved and free myself to work on more important areas.
So over the long weekend I bought a plastic bin and filled with supplies both for myself and the cats. I have also started gathering important paperwork to include copies in my emergency kit and to send to my mother, who lives out of state, for safekeeping. I also started a list of the things most precious to me, prioritized, so if I ever have just five minutes in which to evacuate I have a list so I won't be running around, wasting precious time prioritizing. (It was surprising how short that list is!) The bin now sits near the garage door, with a sleeping bag on top of it.
When I put the bin into place and marked my calendar for next Labor Day weekend to switch out water and food products, I felt an incredible sense of relief. I had done something about an issue that had been weighing on the back of my mind for years now. I could now let that go and make room for other things to contemplate. This has inspired me to start looking at other little nagging issues so I can get them resolved and free myself to work on more important areas.
