Atypical & Awesome, “After the Storm”

There is no sleep like sleeping in a house with power after going a few nights without power- hello, air conditioning! Phillip made sure we were taken care of throughout our 40 hours powerless stint. We had a generator (which kept our refrigerator going), fans, and the internet We were even able to watch football! Things could have been much worse. Comparatively speaking we fared well. I do not take it for granted and know many friends and neighbors struggled and are still struggling.

I think this can be used as a learning opportunity for all of us. Work to stockpile a little emergency food and necessities as you grocery shop- nonperishables like peanut butter, crackers, soup, water, toilet paper. You don’t have to spend a lot at one time just work on building a safety-net. Make sure medications stay filled, keep your insurance policies current (and review them), get renter’s insurance if you rent. Small choices can save big headaches.

I think we need to get back to basics and work on teaching our kids have to survive and be self-sufficient. This experience showed me that a lot of adults do not know how to prepare for emergencies. A little bit of preparation goes a long way. Again, small steps. $5 of nonperishables each grocery trip can make a big difference. Chances are, if you are reading this you already know this information. So here is my challenge for you- teach someone else this week. If you have kids- teach them. If you help out friends and neighbors- share your knowledge.

We cannot expect change without knowing how to change. Let’s teach each other. We all have valuable skills and wisdom- pass it on!