Be Prepared! (It's the Boy Scout motto, you know!)

 

I was awakened this morning by a loud beeping noise. It seems that one of my machines is equipped  with a safety feature whereby it beeps loudly when there is a power outage. Kind of like the emergency broadcast  system. I always wondered what broadcasting an annoying beep did to save anybody. I mean, if you didn't realize  the weather was bad, you are either sleeping, in which case your TV and radio are probably off and you're  most likely not hearing the alert or you’re stupid!   If you're sleeping, what's going to happen is going to happen, and wouldn't you rather it happens to you in your  sleep. If you're stupid, well I'll just leave it at that.   The power came back on within the hour, so I got myself all worked up for no reason. You see, when I'm asleep  my body goes into a sort of survival mode, and its normal functions are slowed way down. When I first wake up,  my secretions are increased, adding to that the stress of knowing that the power is out. Let's just say I did a pretty  good reenactment of the Poseidon Adventure.   When instead, I would have just slept through the whole ordeal and would have just awakened to a  flashing alarm clock, letting me know that sometime during my peaceful slumber, there had been a power outage.  I'd look at my adjustable clock and go about my day.   This morning, out of habit, I was tuned to channel two because of the weather threat. Because I am dependent on  electricity, I wanted to be as prepared as possible. I have given up on TV, for the most part, and only occasionally  watch a program, I never watch the news anymore. It seems they no longer have news, but a form of news  entertainment. I listened for as long as I could until I could get someone's attention to turn it off. We would all be  better people and have much more time with our families if we stopped watching television. An occasional movie is  alright. My family enjoys a movie night each week, with everyone taking a turn, picking what we watch. It sounds  corny, but together, we can return society to what it once was.   So that's how my day started! I hope yours started out better.   But did you ever have a time when you overreacted, and then later felt embarrassed about how you handled the  situation?   It's OK, it probably was the result of a helpless feeling that you had. And preparing for such occasions can give  you the peace of mind you need to get you through such ordeals.   Perhaps standing and watching your home burn to the ground is never easy, but it's always easier when you know  that you've gotten everyone out safely, and everyone is wearing appropriate clothing for the weather, as opposed to  standing in a cold April rain shivering in a huddled mass.   This is one of the few times I will admit that the government got it right. Have yourself an emergency response kit for  every emergency and practice everyone's roles in each of those situations, it could be the difference between life  and death.   I practice my role in every situation every day. Lying in this bed and calmly waiting for help to come. And let's  just say if today is any indication of how well I'll do, then I obviously need more practice!   I guess it is a different kind of feeling knowing that your fate is in someone else’s hands when it comes right down  to the fact that it's in the Lord's hands. Not that you shouldn't do everything you can to save yourself from any tragic  situation, we have free will for a reason.   I imagine someone standing before the Lord and the Lord saying. "Why are you here? " You reply, "I was waiting for you to come and save me. " The Lord answers back, "Why didn't you run away before the flames got bad? And then why didn't you go with the  two firemen I sent to save you? Sometimes you have to be willing to help yourself.   So take this for what it is worth, part rant, part public service announcement. Rarely do I want to tell people how to  live their lives, but if you don't prepare for situations that are likely to strike, how can you possibly plan to survive?  How does the saying go, people don't plan to fail, they fail to plan! And with that, I'll leave you be. I need to figure out  a plan for a power outage that leaves me feeling like I've done everything I can. Not sitting and waiting for somebody  else to do something!   I guess I should share that I'm a prepper. Not one of those tin foil hat-wearing kinds, but what I would consider one of  those practical types. The kind our grandparents were I can still remember grandma "putting up "as she would call it,  her green beans, and potatoes in Ball jars to be used at a later time.  And keeping with the motto "Waste not, want not ". We all need to revisit those times with earnest.   So put away something in honor of grandma and grandpa, someday you may be thanking them!   There are times that I'll have an idea and start writing my blog, only to figure out that idea was just that, an idea,  and not enough to carry me through the entire blog.   So, I will leave it there, revisiting it occasionally, and sometimes adding to it or stealing from it. But I was writing  my BLOG and both thinking about what I had already posted, and a few things I have already written. It seems  I wasn't following my own advice and it took my wife to point it out.   That's why I love her. She will look past my perfections and point out one of my few, and I do mean few, imperfections.   So, I would like to give true credit to my son John - Riley, and his wife Jerica. He has not only been my personal  Barber. He has been my mailman and package deliverer as my mailbox is almost five miles away. He has also  shuttled groceries to my wife and little girl. He has been a true friend through this whole ordeal,  and I am proud to call him my son.   Another person that I am very proud of and thankful to is my daughter-in-law Jerica.  She works full-time as an LPN and still manages to find time for me. She and my son have given me two  fantastic grandchildren that I adore and yet they still find time for me.   So, I need to go back to sticking with my first instinct, it is right, except when it is wrong of course.  Originally, I had included what you just read, in my cast of characters post, but because it was going long,  I made some edits, and unfortunately, they became some of my edits.   I am big enough to admit when I am wrong. This world would be a much kinder and gentler place if everyone could take responsibility for their actions, and admit when they are wrong. Just ask the Hatfields and McCoys!   On the wall directly in front of me, is a picture of me on our front landing, chilling in my new wheelchair!  It represents freedom to me. It makes me think of those good ole days when I got my first car. A 1964 Ford Falcon  convertible.   I had just turned 16, and I was no longer dependent on my parents! I could just jump in my car and think about  how unfair it was that gas had just recently jumped from, 29 cents a gallon to, 50 cents!   But boy it was great, running down the road, radio blaring, and the wind in my hair!   Well, I don't often move, and there's no radio, and there's only wind in my hair if it is a breezy day, other than  that it is exactly the same!   You would know what I mean if you had been stuck in bed for six months! Heck, an ambulance ride was a treat!  Kind of like those days in school when you would get to go on a field trip. Only here I was strapped to a stretcher,  in a mostly reclined position, and barely able to see out of the window. Other than that, it was exactly like a field trip!   The other day, we had a good old-fashioned barbecue like we did back in the day! I would stand around Grilling the  pork steaks and hot dogs, and my wife would fix all the sides, and I'd laugh and joke with all the kids!   Only now, my son was doing the grilling, because I can't move my arms or hold the tongs.  I don't eat regular  food because I eat through a tube.  I can't chew and swallow, so I guess I'm a Vegan now.  My “sides” came from Walmart. I don't laugh and joke with everyone, because I am Mute.  Other than that, it was exactly the same!