Saturday, July 11, 2009

There May Come A Time...!

You know, the time may come that we have to make some very difficult choices.

Just suppose for the sake of argument, that you are getting ready to leave for a trip. You need to get on the road by a certain time, and there are several people that want to go along. When the time comes to leave, all the folks that wanted to go are still not ready, clothes not packed, showers not taken, plants not watered, pets not fed...whatever the reason.

Now the question is...how long do you wait for them to finally get ready? Do you delay your leaving for an hour? A day? Maybe a week? Just how long are you willing to wait?

Well, here are some questions that you need to ask yourself. How badly do you want them to go anyway? Are they necessary to you having a safe trip? Are they sharing the driving, helping pay for the gas? Do they have any car repair skills that might come in handy? Are they bringing any food? Can they get along with everyone else and not drive all their fellow travelers crazy? Just what do they bring to the table that would make them indispensable?

Here's where it becomes harder to make the choices! This is the time when you may need to decide who goes and who stays...never a easy choice, but one best made now instead of when all Hell is breaking loose, ya know?

I think that a time may come when we are going to have to make the decision based on a completely different set of standards than we use today. For example, just because someone is family doesn't give them a free ride. The same holds true for best friends! I know, it sounds heartless and cruel...but it's a fact of life. Some stay and some go! Period!

For children, the answer is clearly that they go! Mine, yours, anyone's! Children are the future and for the most part, more adaptable than the grownups. In most cases, spouses are in the group that must go. No question! But what about the rest? How do we decide if they go or stay?

That answer is going to be a difficult one, and will more than likely be completely different for each group! No one is going to be responsible for that decision except you...and maybe your spouse! You will have to live with these choices for a long time, so you might want to sit down and make a mental list of the pros and cons for each choice.

This is not going to be an easy task, for sure! Deciding if you can add someone to the group and still keep the unit safe is probably going to be one of the most difficult decisions you will ever have to make! The same will hold true if the need arises that someone , for whatever reason, needs to be removed from the list! Gut wrenching choices, for sure!

For me, some of the choices will be easy! Lucky for me, my mom and and my two sisters, along with their families...would bring with them many skills that could be very useful in an emergency! All of them are wizards in the kitchen, all of them are frugal (or are pretty close to it), all of them are fairly well organized, all of them can discuss things without flying off the handle, all of them can sew and mend very well, and most of all all of them are fiercely loyal to family! These are important traits to have, if and when the SHTF...

Now, I hope that none of these choices ever have to be made! I really do! However, like all important decisions, they need to be made BEFORE hand and not put off. They need to be done in a calm fashion, done in a private manner, and done in such a way that you won't carry a guilt trip with you for the rest of your life! There will be plenty of guilty feelings to go around when the time comes, believe me.

No one can really know what the future holds! No one has all the answers! No one can tell you what's right for you and your group or family! As with everything else we as Preppers must consider, the decision of selecting who goes and who stays should be done now. It needs to be done to the best of your ability. It needs to be done after praying about it, discussing it with your significant other or life partner. It needs to be done in a controlled situation, taking all the cold, hard facts into the consideration!

Bottom line...it needs to be done! The sooner the better, for bad or good, for everyone's sake...it just needs to be done!

Now, my friends, let's get some coffee and sit on the patio for a bit...and please, don't shoot the messenger! After all, it's only my opinion!

10 comments:

Rae said...

Excellent thoughts!! There aren't many people I would want to take along with me anyway. I am the type that prepares and sets a time, if they aren't ready, they ain't going -simple as that. I probably didn't need the extra baggage anyway.

But one thing I have learned with people like my daughter who is chronically late - if my plan is to leave at 9:00, I always tell her it's 8:00. It works to get us out on time.

HermitJim said...

Hey Rae...I do hope that these choices are ones we never have to face, but you just never know.

Good thought about setting the departure time in such a way that forces everyone to be there and ready on time!

Thanks for the visit, Rae!

Anonymous said...

Good morning Jim,
I think we could face an expected crisis situation where there's not time to get out. In that case, the same holds true with who you let in versus take with. I hope we don't face this, but looks like we need to be ready,...yesterday.

Have a nice Saturday.

Mayberry said...

Glad my little group is already sorted out.... There might be a few additions, but there's room.

darius said...

I hope my choices are who to let in since leaving is not an option. Unfortunately I live with my sister and her grown daughter who have their heads in the sand.

There's room for prepared friends if they bail and can get here..,

Degringolade said...

You have to review the contents of your group sometimes. Over the years, the composition changes

HermitJim said...

Hey Kris...
I'm afraid you're right, my fiend! Things seem to be picking up speed at timesd, and we just never know what the next day may bring!

Good to see you this morning, and thanks for the visit...


Hey Mayberry...
Makes it a little easier when all that is already settled, doesn't it? I'm sure that all of us will be able to make a little room if need be!

Appreciate the visit, my man!


Hey Darius...
Glad you are there to take care of your sister and her daughter.

Making room for prepared friends is a good thing.I hope that we all can!

Thanks for dropping by this morning...


Hey Deringolade...
I'm thinking that a review is going to be a necessary thing from time to time, depending on many circumstances. Just an unpleasant task, but it has to be done!

I thank you for coming by today...

Anonymous said...

Mayberry,nice to see you have the room for extra's,but do you have prep's for them too?
Hermit,making that decision isn't alway's so cut and simple.Sure,you want the family and such,but let's tweak it a little bit.
Say you work 30-40 mile's away from home,no way to get there to bug out.Do you bug out solo,or do whatever to get there?Do you leave them to they're best?
In my opinion,if someone can't contribute to the effort of the group,leave them behind.Cold hearted,but in your best interest.
Dean in az

Anonymous said...

Morning Jim;

Well my kids know where I will be. If they can get there fine....if not?

I know I can take care of myself. Tough decisions.

Coffee is good today.

HermitJim said...

Hey M.D....
Thanks for the links! I used to have all the foxfire books, but over the years they managed to grow legs and walk off!

These are very handy books to have!

Thanks for the visit today also!