Recession a Great Time to Practice Self-Reliance

marcus — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 15:00:13 +0000

Millions stowed their savings away in mutual funds, houses, and other investments only to find their retirement nest eggs wiped away in a matter of weeks. Over the last few months, we have watched in disbelief as the federal government has done nothing to stop it. Now, as wave after wave of layoffs hit our TV screens, we feel more helpless than ever.

The awful truth that should be dawning on us right now is that the institutions we trust to provide us with stability and prosperity are flawed and frail. When it comes down to it, we cannot rely on government, companies, banks, or markets to save us, as much as we’ve come to depend on them. Who can we rely on? Ourselves.

This recession should be a wake-up call to all of us to return to self-reliance. If you think about it, who’s really in charge of making sure you have food, water, shelter, and safety? Is it really some group of rich guys in a big shiny building thousands of miles away who don’t know you from Adam and really could care less about your needs? Are they really the guys you should be trusting with your life? The answers are you, no, and no.

Just to remind those who may not know what self-reliance is, the best way to understand it is to imagine what would happen if all of the systems you currently rely on for the necessities of life suddenly disappeared. What if water no longer came out of the tap? What if there were no more grocery stores stocked with food? What if you couldn’t buy new clothes at the store?

The next question is: how would you make sure you and your loved ones had all the necessities of life in that situation? Dedicated practitioners of self-reliance grow their own gardens, sew and mend clothes, learn carpentry and minor repair skills, and store a little extra food for emergencies. Some even learn wilderness survival and purchase durable, long-term camping gear.

Although you may not want to go as far as these individuals, a little self-reliance is a great way to buffer your household against the effects of recession. For instance, put away a little food storage- you never know when food prices might skyrocket again. Also, keep first aid supplies on hand and know how to use them, in case you have an emergency to which 911 can’t respond.

Bottom line: learn to cover your back. Learn a trade. Put a little money, food, and supplies away for a rainy day. Hope for the best. But be prepared for the worst.

Emergency Preparedness: Get Educated!

marcus — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 16:39:00 +0000

The world has become a turbulent place as of late. Tornadoes, earthquakes, cyclones, and pandemics seem to rear their ugly heads almost on a daily basis, with increasingly deadly results. And we haven’t even gotten into manmade dangers like collapsing cranes or terrorist attacks. As devastating as these events can be, they only get worse when disaster victims lack basic disaster know-how. If there is one thing we learned from Hurricane Katrina, it is that we cannot rely solely on the government to care for us in disasters. The responsibility ultimately falls on each of us.

We often think of education as a way to enhance our careers. In a very real sense, however, getting educated about and prepared for disasters can save your life and the lives of those around you.

Of course, then comes the response: “Disasters seem so unpredictable. How can I possibly prepare for everything?” Luckily, you don’t have to. If you begin by placing yourself in a scenario, like a flood or a pandemic, you quickly realize that there are some things that you will need in every scenario. You will notice that they revolve around basic human needs. Below is my list of five things to start with:

1. First Aid – There’s a reason why it’s called “first” aid. It has to come first. Threatening injuries have to be stabilized before food and shelter will do any good.

Research has found, unfortunately, that most U.S. households are deplorably unprepared to administer first aid. Most households have band aids, some Tylenol, and maybe rubbing alcohol. However, most are lacking in supplies to treat larger wounds like open wounds, burns, or broken bones. Relatively few have CPR training.

A little bit of first aid training can go a long way. In almost every community, classes on first aid and CPR are held regularly. Often, they are free of cost. Take the time to get some training. Also, do your research on what a real first aid kit consists of. This time spent will pay dividends in the event of a disaster.

2. Evacuation Plan – Generally, when bad things happen, people act out of instinct, and their first instinct is driven by panic and survival. The bad news is these instincts can often lead to bigger problems. In the event you need to get out of your current situation, you can really benefit from planning out where you will go, how you will get there, and where you will meet your loved ones.

Keep in mind, your evacuation plans may vary according to the emergency. In a fire, for instance, your first priority is to get out of the house. This differs from a tornado or windstorm, in which your first priority is to find cover from flying debris.

3. Water – The human body can’t survive more than three days without water. Because water is in such abundance in our lives of modern convenience, we often forget to prepare for situations in which we may not be able to get water or, at least, clean water. While water for cleaning dishes or bathing can be neglected in an emergency, Everyone needs to have an emergency supply of fresh, clean drinking water.

4. Food – Americans often take the availability of food for granted. Anytime, we need more, we can usually stop at the local grocery store and pick up what we need. For this very reason, few of us store large amounts of food in our houses. It is worth reminding, however, that our local grocery stores are designed to carry only three days worth of goods at any given time. Their inventory is replenished regularly by freight trucks shuttling goods around the country.

In the event of a major catastrophe, like a pandemic or a terrorist attack, this distribution system could easily come undone. If drivers were frightened of a pandemic, they might refuse to deliver goods to certain areas. Highways might be demolished in areas struck by an attack or an earthquake, preventing delivery of food items. Without new inventory, grocery stores would soon be emptied of their goods. People would be left with what they have in their houses. If they had very little, the outlook would be grim.

Emergency food storage is an important part of emergency preparedness. The best of these include non-perishable items from all of the basic food groups. Of primary importance are staples like rice, pasta, or flour. Having plenty of vegetables and fruits can help keep household members’ immune systems functioning. Also, while a 72-hour supply is a good start, you may want to expand to a three- or six-month supply. You can never anticipate how long these crises will stretch out; best err on the side of caution.

5. Shelter – With houses getting tossed by tornadoes and others crumbling in earthquakes, it isn’t difficult to anticipate possibly losing your house. If you were unlucky enough to lose your home, where would you stay? This is the primary question surrounding shelter.

You need a place to sleep and stay safe from the elements after a catastrophe. Hotels, houses of friends or relatives, or emergency shelters can provide a must needed respite from disaster conditions.

If these weren’t available, what would you use then? A tent? A motor home? An igloo? These are things you want to figure out before things go bad. Even having a simple dome tent may mean the difference between sleeping safe and dry or having a cold, wet night in the open.

Preparedness can make all the difference for you and your loved ones in a disaster. Learn more about how to prepare by visiting the federal government’s emergency preparedness site.

Education & Careers » emergency-preparedness

Recession a Great Time to Practice Self-Reliance

Emergency Preparedness: Get Educated!