termiNation

Not if but when a disaster strikes, will you be ready? Even if it’s not in your lifetime, your preparation can be passed on to your children or community. It’s such an obvious need; why do we ignore it? Most people just don’t want to think about it. How many people with a serious illness or injury have you heard say, “Well, statistically I always knew it was probable that I’d face something like this some day”? or do they more often say, “I never thought it would happen to me”? Or they ask “why me?” Why not you? Who are bad things supposed to happen to? People who deserve it? No major religion or philosophy has ever taught that. It’s a wishful fantasy that bad things don’t happen to good people (i.e., the “just world” cognitive bias). Abandon the superstitious notion that you’re somehow going to be spared from calamity or that the government agencies are going to save you. Get supplies. You also need to team up with other adults, ASAP, so we can save the children and those who are incapacitated. Form a resilience circle or neighborhood disaster response team. It’s not so hard. What’s going to be hard is responding to disasters if you don’t prepare. Check out a free downloadable game that can help you and those close to you have a fun way to strategize about emergency preparedness.

Most of us feel we don’t have time to make disaster preparedness kits and plans. If you have teens or are close to some, enlist them to head the effort. Some can do it. In past eras they’d have kids themselves and be working by now. Get them interested thru discussion of whatever disasters are most likely in your area. Would this be scaring them unnecessarily? No. You are giving them the chance they deserve to think and contribute, to take responsibility to help support their family and community. They could join up with a community organization or church for this project. It could give them a project to put on a resume or school application. They are capable of leadership. Help them develop it. They are capable of caring about more than clothes, gadgets, and social media. Challenge them to be preparedness experts for their classroom or another group they’re a part of. Let them look up what would be the best response in different disaster scenarios. Give them a budget to start collecting a backpack with supplies: a solar charger for phones, cans of peanut butter, water purification. Don’t get a cheap gimmicky pre-packaged survival kit. Let them think thru what’s needed. Help them have a purpose more than preparing for ever-more school and amusing themselves with TikTok. You could set them up with a reward so when they complete it, they get some useless status symbol they’ve been wanting. No, wait. That would send a message of how uninspired we think they are. For a project completion reward, let them choose an outing with friends, maybe a road trip or outdoor recreation that would let them practice related skills. Let them plan their event, with a budget.