Why Prep?

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     I have lived in a Florida most of my life.  Hurricanes are a fact of life.  Some of my first childhood memories are of sitting in the living room of my grandmother’s house waiting out Hurricane Donna with my family.   I remember the hurricane names, the days we had to wait for normal to return, the days we cooked on the back porch with fire, and the dead birds blown at high speed into solid tree trunks brought to school for show and tell!  I don’t remember hearing the word prep or newscasters excitedly urging us to get ready.  We just did.  Everyone just did. 

     Times change, people forget. They got caught up in property ladders or paths to success, or maybe building a family.  Many people moved south for a better winter experience just so they could spend the summer complaining of the heat and rain and asking why we name our thunderstorms not knowing the definition for hurricane includes sustained winds of 75 mph and more.  Surprise!  They were not ready.

     Once, when I did feel it was necessary to move from home to a storm shelter, I was well prepared with a trunk full of family photos on a thumb drive and double wrapped scrapbooks in the car with the bug out bag that held three days survival supplies.  I also had the tent to go with a seven day supply of food.  I spent a lot of time before the doors were locked assessing the state of the shelter.   I realized I had been better prepared to shelter than the other people in the shelter.   I was not willing to spend three or more days trapped in a school hall way with people who were already eyeing their neighbors and their belongings.  I called a family member down the road and skipped out leaving the masses to the Red Cross.  We had a nice four day ‘prep-cation’ setting up, living the life and breaking down our supplies for storage.  We had a good time, all things considered.  

     Hurricanes are not my only concern.  They just happen to be a fact of life here in Florida.   I have my very long list of reasons to believe a change is coming.  I prepare for change.  Change is inevitable.  If change takes shape in the form of hyperinflation, EMP pulse, chemical or biological terrorism or old age it is all change and good reason to prepare.

      I also believe that people who have reasons other than mine are just as valid as mine. Hard winters and sudden snowfalls of several feet don't happen here but I feel your pain.  I was stationed with husband and children on a military post with no power due to the 'storm of the century'.  As I stated earlier, one family member is concerned about hyper-inflation.  One is former military and wants to live his training by educating himself in multiple scenarios and prepping for survival in any case. 

     Don’t think we are all a bunch of happy preppers with no social judgments against us.  I have a sister who tried to stage a prep intervention for my son when he started a blog!  She was surprised that the whole clan didn't get on her wagon.  Even the one son who is not actively prepping at this time laughed her off since his brother’s blog is full of fun facts and humor.  He sees his brother’s prepping as another of his brother’s hobbies.

     We prep for a myriad of reasons.  It doesn't really matter that our ‘hurricane supplies’ are more extensive than the neighbors’.  It also doesn't concern us much if society breaks down as it did after hurricane Katrina.  We won’t be here waiting to be pillaged and looted.  We have a plan, several routes and supplies.  We have a plan to survive.  We have prepped for survival.  We hope to see you on the other side.

So, get ready for what may come.  Prepare for whatever is down the road for you.