Doom & Gloom

I was told today I am a Doom and Gloom person.  I thought about it, and yes, yes I am.  My entire life I have had to expect the worst and hope for the best.  From Security work, to Law enforcement, Disaster planning seemed to fall at my feet.  I became one with the idea that crap out of my control was going to happen, and I have to think on my feet, make the best choices at the time, and hope based on knowledge, and experience it was the right one. 

I have had many different bad things happen to my body and property so that I could help and serve others.  Funny thing is I would get right back on that horse today if allowed to.  So know, I take that knowledge experience and skill set and turn it towards seeing me and mine are safe.

I gotta story, it will illustrate the issue.  I love to camp, and be outdoors.  My wife, never could understand why once a month I would get all of my "gi Joe" gear out and make sure it was in good shape.  Well, a while later when we lived in SE Kansas a tornado decided to come visit and play that fall.  No Power in August, in Kansas, sucks.  You make the best of it.  110 degree's out and now wind, with the humidity of a swamp, life can be hard.  So, Out cam the gear, the house was electric, so I cooked over propane.  The kids loved it.  Now, bear in mind, storm damaage and have Hurricane Force winds hit your house, will flat get some people rattled. 

The neighbors house was much worse off than ours.  We lost a two car garage, and one side of the house look like it had been sandblasted.  Oh, I forgot to mention that we had no place to go, except a crawl space.  When the thing hit, It tried to suck the porch off too.  I was having a cigar, and reading a book.  Best I could do as me going outdoors wasnt going to happen.  The wife was something like a chicken with it's head cut off.  Not good with stress.  The grain building accross the street where gone, and debris was every place. 

So I had most of what I needed, but sent to the wife to the store, and really glad I sent my daughter along as she was as I later determined was in shock from it all.

The morale of the story is this, you may be prepared, but you family may act like a bunch of chickens with fox in the hen house.

Have your stuff together.  Prepare for the worst, hope for the Best.  Expect to take care of those in your family that dont have your ability to stay calm in the face of overwhelming odds.

Keep it pointed in a safe direction!