No one can prepare for everything

No one can prepare for everything
                        

What’s your preparedness level?

So how prepared were you for the upheaval caused by the pandemic? What things have you handled with ease? What things hit you the hardest? What could you do to prepare for another grand life disruption?

Doubtless whatever happens next will likely have different circumstances, but what has this situation brought to light in your life?

Because the pandemic has focused on health and mortality, let’s start there. What do you need to do to be the healthiest you can be? Do you need to lose weight, work out, stop smoking, eat better?

Although it’s not something most of us like to think about, have you prepared a will, an estate plan or written out your final wishes?

How are your finances? Do you have money set aside to cover several months of expenses? Are you carrying debt? Do you have a plan to pay it off? Do you have a plan in case you can’t easily access your bank funds?

Do you have options to bring home income if your current job isn’t available?

Have you developed basic, important skills and obtained the corresponding supplies?

Can you administer first aid? CPR? Do you keep a current stock of medicines, bandages and disinfectants? Do you have a thermometer? If you take prescription medications regularly, do you keep an extra supply for emergencies?

This current situation has probably made most of us appreciate our stylists and barbers like never before. But in the future, could you choose a flexible style that would require less attention? Can you give family members basic trims or cuts? Do you have good scissors or clippers?

How are your cooking skills? Do you prepare most meals at home or are you relying on fast food and carry out? Do you have a collection of favorite recipes?

Do you keep a well-stocked pantry or do you make trips to the store every couple of days? How has this situation changed your patterns? What would you like your supply cabinet to look like in the future?

Many businesses deemed essential remained open, but what if they don’t next time? Could you grow your own food on a large scale? Do you have seeds? Could you supplement available foods by container gardening?

Have you learned to can, dry or smoke food for preservation? Do you have canning jars, lids, a canner and such on hand?

Do you have room to raise a few chickens or small ruminants? Would you know how to care for them if you did?

What about power? Could you get along during an extended outage? For rural people like me, what would you do for water? Do you have the supplies for water purification?

Do you have alternatives to the power grid such as solar panels?

Can you do basic carpentry or house repair? Do you have the necessary tools, both electric and not? How about lumber, screws, nails and calking?

How are you at car repair? Can you check and/or change the oil? Do you keep extra oil, oil filters, or washer fluid on hand?

If you have babies, do you keep extra diapers on hand? Do you have some cloth ones that you could wash and reuse? Do you have options for child care?

What about education? Have you considered how you could teach your children without school guidance or the internet? Do you have helpful books in your home?

No one can prepare for everything. We might just drive ourselves crazy if we tried. But upheavals and disruptions happen on an individual, country and sometimes world basis. What can you do to make them a bit easier for yourself and those around you?


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