Better To Have It And Need It Than Need It And Not Have It
In this age of technology and modern convenience, things like emergency preparedness have largely become a lost practice. In fact, it seems to be missing from the collective conscience entirely. Personal preparedness doesn´t mean that you need an arsenal of firearms and a cache of army surplus canned goods buried in the back yard. It can be as subtle as always keeping the gas tank in your car at least half full, or applying insect repellant before going into the woods. It can be as simple as having a 72-hour kit for each member of your family and the supplies to create a safe room in your home.
What is wrong with having some of life´s necessities or luxuries on hand for an emergency? No one would question the need to purchase a flashlight and extra batteries during a blackout so what is paranoid about buying a flashlight before a blackout? Maybe it´s laziness or denial. Maybe it´s belief. Perhaps people don´t believe an extended blackout is possible. I would say not only is it possible, but in recent years it has begun to happen with alarming frequency. Just ask the folks in Queens, New York. In July of 2006, more than 100,000 residents had their power cut for an entire week. Most of us expect a power outage now and again, but we also expect that it will be restored in a matter of hours. What if it took longer?