Emergency Preparedness

I use to think of people that put together emergency preparedness kits as either being paranoid individuals or backwoods militia men that anticipated war or the world coming to an end.  That was before I became interested in a more frugal lifestyle and getting back to the basics of living; being more self sufficient if you will.  Since becoming unemployed, my income level has dropped beyond significant to flat lined, back up again and then nothing.  Nonetheless, I am able to hold my head up.  I want for nothing in regards to food, water and shelter and it is all possible due to being prepared. How prepared are you in the event an emergency happened where you are?

We don't relate unemployment on a daily basis to that of an "emergency", however when the food runs out and no sight of a paycheck anytime soon, one quickly goes in to survival mode; seeking anything in the pantry that could possibly make a meal; rationing the toilet paper, paper towels, etc.  Don't laugh, it's true.  We rarely consider emergency preparedness at all until we see countries like Haiti and Chile and the total devastation they have experienced.  Why is that? Is it the same type of fear just as we were afraid of talking about death in my one of previous blogs?  Is it the fear that should we reach the point where our lives switch over to survival mode, it might really be the real end?  It doesn't have to be like that.  I promise, you aren't going to  be viewed differently; you won't be called a "hoarder" or anything of the sort.  In fact, you more than likely will be admired for being proactive just as I have learned to admire those who have taught me; some young, some old.  Stereotypes such as these prevent us from being proactive and as a result, we rely on others who are prepared their resources rather than our own.  By doing so, however, could result in an emergency of its own should they die or not be able to get to you.  It is important that each of us take steps toward self sufficiency simply for that reason.  While I am constantly learning, I am becoming more proactive in my daily life and gaining confidence in being prepared for the smallest emergency as temporary as it may be.
Another example that is easier to relate to is something as simple as a winter storm with no heat or power for hours; days even.  This is more of a reality as we have seen this across the nation lately with nontraditional weather patterns as we enter what should be "spring".  While it's more typical where I live in the northwest and living in a rural area, most inner city folk are not prepared.  They can't be blamed as weather patterns like this do not occur regularly, but nonetheless it puts them in "survival mode"; a temporary state of panic; relying on road crews, power companies, grocery stores and agencies to do whatever it takes to get things back to normal . It's only natural for us in a crisis situation to make comments that "next time", we'll be prepared only to find ourselves integrating back in to our daily lives and never making the effort.  Finances are a good example of such.

Being prepared for any sort of emergency builds confidence and can reduce the stress and panic one might experience in such a crisis.  Food seems to be the main focal point and the most intimidating item when preparing an emergency preparedness kit due to a lack of knowledge in how to prepare dehydrated food.  You would actually be surprised just how much you already cook with it and how you can have fun creating meals that you will enjoy.  Many have the preconceived notion to think that should an emergency occur, there they will be with a box filled with bland, boring meals for survival.  Not so.  I came across the blog Trail Cooking & The Outdoors that appears to market to back country trail hikers.  But what I found is that there are volumes of recipes that are fun and made with everyday food items you probably already use; and they're dehydrated!  For the average spouse that has children, you can't go wrong with their recipes and may even find yourself trying some their cooking ideas for fun.  There are videos, tutorials, and alternative cooking ideas.  This has been my site of preference.

Depending on how involved you want to get, there are many sites regarding emergency preparedness.  Through my research, I have found that the FEMA website is another great resource for  anyone considering their own emergency preparedness kit, but it is not an easy read compared to the Preparedness Pantry blog I found.  It is an interesting site with more information than one could imagine including recipes for food stored items.  It's really a matter of preference and how detailed you want to get.   The idea behind it all is to have fun with it and determine whether you are looking to create a long term storage plan to last for up to twenty years, or one that will provide the basic essentials for a shorter period of time.

While water and a heat source are essential for food stored items, there are also non-food preparedness items that one needs to consider as well; especially if you are considering emergency preparedness kits for long term storage.  A detailed list of such items can be found in the Just Add Water book  written by Barbara G. Salsbury advertised here.  She is by far one of the best pioneers on studying dehydrated foods; developing and testing a variety of recipes and speaking at functions regarding food and water storage and usage.  I highly recommend this book for anyone working with churches and community organizations considering an emergency preparedness kit for their group. For the average person, I found it a little more than I cared to bargain with.  It does, however provide a wealth of knowledge and recipes to boot.

Should plans such as these be too overwhelming, consider starting by simply adding a few extra items to your plan over the course of a few months each time you go to the grocery store.  Regardless of who you are or what status you may have in the community, I hope that you will take the initial steps toward being proactive; self sufficient.  Never rely on outer resources to be able to get to you in the state of an emergency; no matter how small.

Lenny

I had never been around any other race of people before other than Mexicans in Colorado.  To me, blacks didn't count since I was from the south and grew up around them; they never seemed different other than the foods they liked and they lived in others areas than me.  So when I moved here, I told my husband "boy, there sure are a lot of Mexicans, I wouldn't think they would like it up here where it gets so cold".  That was when I realized just how naive I really was; they were Blackfeet, Sioux and Assiniboine Indians and there was an Indian Reservation just other side of the mountains; not to mention several other tribes throughout the state!  My husband has taught me a lot about the Indians and how they think and live as he had lived among many when working in the oil fields.  They were simply something I only knew about through history books.  I never took the time to understand them or appreciate them beyond that.

Today, there are thirteen different tribes throughout the state; eleven are original that go back prior to Montana becoming a state.  Alcohol abuse is a serious issue on many of these reservations and sadly, is most often times the focus of any main stream media.  Rare are stories told of the good people there.  Clearly there is still segregation of sorts when one speaks of the Indian aka the Native American; depending on where you live and who you talk to. While the nation did away with segregation of blacks throughout the fifties and sixties, there was a new beginning for them as they attempted to integrate into the so called "norms of society".  Native Americans, on the other hand, were simply put out on the plains over a hundred years ago and given reservations they could call home; clearly there is a certain amount of segregation that continues to exist today; wanted or unwanted, it is still clearly divided.  Don't get me wrong, according to many white men; they have been well taken care of ever since with government funding, programs, housing and schools. That is a controversial topic and not the direction of my post here today.  But I feel it is important to share with you a story that might otherwise never be told of one of their people that has touched my heart in a roundabout way.  It is important that they are not forgotten and others know there are beautiful and good people among them just as in our own communities.

Lenny Boxer was a young Indian man from Fort Kipp, Montana who came to know my husband back in the oil boom days of the late seventies and early eighties.  My husband Scott is a blond haired, blue eyed Norwegian farm boy, just so you know.  Scott had worked his way up from the lowest man on the job, the "worm" to working derricks, the man at the tip top of the oil rig that pulled pipe out of the ground and the right hand man of the driller.  Lenny had seen Scott a few times on another rig and would always ask Scott to come and work for him. Embarrassed, Scott would laugh and explain how he couldn't leave his driller like that.  So one day, Lenny showed up and yelled to Scott that he had talked his driller in to trading for Scott.  That was the beginning of a wonderful relationship between these two men that would last forever.

Scott ended up being the only white man on his crew and when the shift was over and the guys headed to town for a cold one, he stuck out like a sore thumb against all theses dark skinned men.  Lenny would turn and say, "no worries Scott, they won't mess with you when you're with me" and he was right.  The Indians had a great respect for Lenny.  He was a stout man and could hold his own when it came to a rowdy bunch of young Indians.  He would sit and cry as he spoke of his time in the military over a beer or two and Scott would laugh in disbelief at his stories; thinking "yeah right".  But in his heart, he liked Lenny so well, he wanted to believe him.

Lenny was a family man and family meant everything to him.  He even raised his oldest daughter on the rigs teaching her every step of the way.  Soon his next youngest daughter joined his crew and each work side by side holding their own just as the other men on the crew.  They were his babies.  Scott soon joined his extended family in a way as Lenny became his surrogate father away from home; always looking out for him, making sure he had a place to stay, etc.  Whatever Scott needed, he could rely on Lenny to always be there ready to help.  His kind spirit and eminent stature among his own people carried over in his work.    Together they traveled throughout eastern Montana and North Dakota setting up, drilling and tearing down rig after rig.
The oil boom crashed in the early eighties and Scott's oil field days came to an end.  He moved to the western part of the Montana to pursue a new life and Lenny stayed behind with his girls drilling on smaller rigs throughout the plains.  Over the years, Lenny would pop in to town and call Scott.  Their reunion, if only for short periods, kept them close at heart.  I had the opportunity to meet Lenny as we traveled to eastern Montana and found an oil rig off in the distance.  Being so close to Lenny's hometown, Scott just knew Lenny would be working on it.  As we arrived, all one could see were three smiling faces as we approached the platform.  There stood Lenny and his two daughters working away.  While they couldn't stop to visit, their smiles spoke volumes as Scott introduced me.  Their visit was cut short as we had to leave the platform for safety reasons, so they quickly tried to set a time and a place to see one another later that evening and smiled and waved good bye.  We never did meet up with them due to one thing or another, but we were both content by the looks on their faces that their love for Scott was so genuine; so deep.

A couple years passed only to bring the news of Lenny's death through a phone call via an old friend from the oil days. Lenny had learned that he had cancer and within three months was gone from this world forever.  It happened so fast and the family moved on.  By the time Scott had learned about it, two years had passed.  All of our visits to eastern Montana, driving past his old place on the highway, thinking he was working somewhere; Lenny laid buried in the field beside his home at Ft. Kipp beneath an American flag flying over him.

I recently thought of Lenny as he has become an regular part of Scott's storytelling over the years.  I began researching the internet to see if I could find a photo of him to share with my husband.  They never took photos of one another.  My search brought me to his obituary that spoke of his military career as a Untied States Marine and medals he had received.  I looked up each medal to learn their meanings and I shared them with my husband.  As his heart swelled with pride, he suddenly realized that the man he had once know was a hero; a brave and noble Indian.  He was everything that Scott so desperately had wanted to believe.  Lenny had once shown Scott scars that he said he had received in battle and Scott, being a young kid, would laugh at him over a beer joking that he probably got stabbed by one of his own people.  As it turns out, Lenny was a decorated Vietnam War veteran.  He received two purple hearts, a Navy Commendation Medal, Presidential Commendation Ribbon with a Bronze Star and a Vietnam Service Medal with a Silver Star.  He was a tribal board member for the Fort Peck Indian Reservation for several years.

Lenny has always been a common name in our home as we have raised our children over the years.  It's as if they know him in some way.  They know that he was dear to their father's heart.  His old war stories have more meaning today than ever now and his spirit will live on through our grandchildren one day.  While I never really knew him, I am forever grateful that I had the opportunity to meet someone who could touch another person's life so beautifully; someone from another culture than our own who took a kid under his wing and taught him many lessons about life over their time together; about cultural differences; about true friendship.  I hope one day to find a picture of Lenny to share with you as I create a new page of inspiring faces on my blog.

I hope that if someone comes across your life that touches your heart or inspires you, that you recognize them; that you pay tribute to them.  Let the world know who they are or who they were.  Share your stories.

Haiti Holds a Gift

With recession comes great things, if we open our hearts and minds. Everyday people in our nation hold a gift for us waiting to be seen, instead we turn our heads. Now, Haiti has given our nation the same gift, but will we see it this time?

Let me ask you, is it more appealing to watch one that is physically attractive or the man in the suit who drives a BMW fail than one who is less attractive, rides the bus or chooses to wear blue jeans and a t-shirt everyday?

I wish there were a news channel made up of "everyday people". You know, those we like to call the "blue collar workers". A smiling steel worker, reporting on the side for extra money, sitting on a stoup with a man who just lost his home; a woman who volunteers at a local soup kitchen happily reporting how the numbers were down today; an interview of a deceivingly sharp looking business woman who actually rides the bus to work from the ghetto and makes $7.25 an hour cooking $25 a plate meals and goes home and cries every night because she still can't come up with enough money for the electric bill. News of the small farming community that had a parade at midnight due to flight delays for troops arriving home so they knew they were appreciated. These are the everyday people of our nation. They come in all sizes, shapes and beauty just like Corporate America. Some are educated, some not. There is crime and corruption in their world, too. Get the picture? It just doesn't sound as exciting does it?

Instead we find ourselves turning on the news to watch how Corporate America is broke. I'm talking about Wall Street, large cap private financial gurus and the overpaid people of our nation. Stories of those losing their homes; being laid off from $125 thousand dollar a year jobs; selling second and third homes and finally tapping in to their 401k's and IRA's to simply make ends meet. Their bank accounts have dwindled in to the thousands. No doubt that their world has been rocked. On their way to work, they grab their cappuccino; stop at the dry cleaners; on to the day care to drop off little Billy and Susie; have lunch with their colleagues; then stop at the take and bake on the way home to grab pizza for dinner and back out the door for drinks at the open house around the corner. A life of luxuries and envy that every man and woman have thought about at least once in their lives; or not. But as the market crashed, their lives entered into a tailspin; not knowing how to face what lies ahead. They have relied on the rest of America to care for their every need and now cannot do for themselves. Their lessons are right in front of them if they could only see beyond the veil.

These corporate gurus are being served by "everyday people"; everyday. You see, everyday people start their day the night before. They lie awake til three in the morning thinking about what the new day will bring. They track the calendar in their mind wondering if they forgot to pay that bill on the fifteenth; or was it the tenth? As they start the new day, they dig around the house for loose change so they have the exact amount for the bus or their kids lunch money. If they have time and the luxury of a computer at home, they rush to check their bank account before they leave to see if they need to make a deposit before two o'clock rolls around. They arrive at work on time to be greeted by demanding customers who don't even know their name. No matter how nice they look, how determined they are, they continue to struggle, but they manage. The cliche' "it takes money to make money" rings loud in their minds. If only someone would recognize their talent and pull them from the wreckage. When the lay offs come, they go in to overdrive in an effort to keep what little they have; taking second jobs and even moving in with family members to save wherever they can. At the end of the day, some return to their modest homes with only the bare necessities to make a good meal for the night. If there were a window to their soul, you would see that there lies character and gratitude behind their blank stare as their children greet them at the door and make it all worth while. Their core values of love, family and doing whatever it takes pull them through the worst of times.

There are various definitions of hardship just as there is a significant difference between the daily lives of those working in Corporate America and everyday people; the service industry of America. Some may have a couple thousand in the bank and say they are broke while others are truly living in the negative day after day. The news reports that times are getting better and unemployment is decreasing, but some towns across America are still seeing unemployment rates of ten and twelve percent. These differences in lifestyles should no longer seem to be important as they enter the unemployment lines from both sides, yet sadly they will never become one. The corporate world hasn't hit rock bottom yet. They have not yet experienced what true hardship really means. While the "everyday people" of this country struggle daily to make ends meets, they are survivors. They live in survival mode each day of their lives. They may lack the knowledge or resources to rise up, but they are rich with character and gratitude; with a love and commitment to God and family like no other; they believe in helping others no matter the cost because it is the right thing to do, they believe in sharing and pooling their resources to make things happen. Times like this are not the place for thinking only of ones self.

The disaster in Haiti, as sad it has been, has many lessons waiting to be learned as well. There is no longer a hierarchy of sorts, all have become one; equal. Oh, there is still government in place although it has taken back seat to the crisis at hand. Together they unite to sing songs of praise never questioning God, their purpose in life, or mourning for their possessions that are now lost; grateful to be alive. They quickly pull together as one; with a common goal of rising up from the rubble. Material things do not matter. Their loved ones are gone forever. Disease walks the streets and death surrounds them still. The rains will soon come. Despite everything they have lost, they quickly create organization with what remains; immediately grabbing whatever food, water and shelter they can find; helping their neighbors; creating a leader for each block to be responsible for whatever was needed in their self-created communities; and still, they smile. Their graceful character and gratitude speaks volumes.

America will always remain a diversified country, no doubt. Just as the everyday people of our nation, Haiti has given the world a gift if we would only open our hearts and minds and see it this time. Whether it is the result of poor financial decisions, being taken advantage of, greed, generational welfare, you name it, pulling together in these difficult times is what America needs. There are wonderful lessons to be learned when one is truly down on their luck. It builds beautiful people just as we have seen in Haiti. While everyday people in America may not receive the recognition they deserve for their services, they are the force that keeps our nation strong. They are some of the most beautiful and richest in character of all our nation. Appreciate them; learn from them; ask them what their name is; listen.