Prepare, Respond, Recover: Surviving Life's Earthquakes and Hurricaines

Painted in the amazing Library of Congress:  "Ignorance is the Curse of God, Knowledge the Wing Wherewith We Fly to Heaven."  

  
     Prepare, respond, recover!

    As I write this blog, I am watching CNN coverage of Hurricane Irene, the hurricane that, after leaving a path of destruction in the Bahamas and Puerto Rico, hit North Carolina and swept its way into the lives of some sixty-five million Americans.  Sadly, more than a dozen people lost their lives and millions remain without power today and are facing the realities of property damage and challenging clean up.  Damage is spread across islands and nine states.  Rain, floods, and wind will persist in many areas for up to ten days as the backside bands of the tropical storm work their way back around to many areas.

     Despite the reality of hardship for hundreds of thousands and even millions of people, most people are grateful that the outcomes were not worse.  Many survivors woke up today and began digging out and moving forward, while others are expressing gratitude for "dodging a bullet."

     Prepare, respond, recover!

     Amazingly, millions of the people impacted by Irene also experienced a nerve rattling 5.9 magnitude earthquake just a few days before. The earthquake, overall, caused little damage but it did instill fear in the psyches of millions of people in the east who are unaccustomed to and perhaps a bit complacent about the risks that stem from seismic activity. 

     All of this is a reminder that in life, whether at home, work, or play, we have to be ever vigilant of the hurricanes and earthquakes of life.  We have to "Prepare, Respond, and Recover," as we have heard over and over during recent days from emergency responders.  Job layoffs, illness, accidents, and natural disasters usually surface unexpectedly, catching us off guard.  If we have not looked ahead and planned, then the impact of the unexpected challenges in our life's can overcome us.  Preparation for what could happen, effective response to what does happen, and patient recovery is the formula that will carry us through.

Benjamin Franklin Painting in State Department--"Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure"

     Benjamin Franklin said that "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."   There is no doubt that we are better off when we have the vision, foresight, and opportunity to take actions in our lives that prevent harm, tragedy, or ruin. Defensive driving, routine exercise, quality eating, saving for a rainy day, emergency supplies, food storage and lifelong learning are all tools that can help us proactively prevent or at least more effectively cope with many the hardships of life.

     When we only focus our energies on the here and now and fail to maintain a broad-based, long-term plan, we limit our ability to wisely and most-effectively deal with the array of challenges that inevitably come our way--whether unforeseen disasters like earthquakes or identified oncoming hurricanes. When we proceed without planning and proper resources, we end up spending significant amounts of time aimlessly or inefficiently reacting to our problems and searching for cures.  Often, after the fact, it is easy to see that if more attention had been given to finding, anticipating, and effectively preparing for the future, we could have more ably saved life, property and resources. Prevention efforts are crucial and can hopefully protect us from the need to repair, replace, and restore. Each of us, no matter where we are, should take the time to asses our personal preparation for the  unknown. Are you prepared? Do you have a plan to respond? Can you recover?

Finally, "Kids Back in School Break" has Arrived for Parents!

     Yes, kids are a wonderful thing!  As parents we love them a great deal.  We enjoy spending quality time with them and a nice family trip together is a joy to behold.  I even suppose that in June we are glad they get to take a nice little break from school so they can rest, relax, and maybe even do some chores around the house.  It all starts out so wonderful and innocent.  Then the relentless torment of unending juvenile freedom settles in for the long, hot summer days and the dark clouds of summer break turn into an unending storm of "too much of a good thing." 

[Though related to me, these teens are only represented here as possible examples of my points in this Article]

     Late nights turn into later nights.  Work night noise turns into work night pandemonium.  The household chores, well.... they seem to get lost in the shuffle.  Waking up to breakfast and a clear, cool morning turns into kids waking up as the heat of the day settles in looking for lunch (and when they can't find it, the routine phone call to work or complaints of starvation are heard round the world.

     I have to admit, when I was in my K-12 years (a long time ago), my summer life was not all that different than that of my kids now.  I went to bed late, got up late, lounged around waiting for something to do, and probably drove my parents crazy too.  That's all fine and dandy but the bigger issue for me today is that I am now the parent.  Its irrelevant what torture I put my parents through, if any (my memory is fading as expected for people my age), because its me who has to figure out how to get to sleep through the noise and chaos.  My parents role is to laugh at my wife and me when we share our tales of woe and agony.  They are not very empathetic; I don't get it.  They literally laugh while we cry.  It all seems so unfair. 

    So, is it any wonder that as the new school year settles in around us, parents everywhere are starting to kick back on their recliners to settle in for the school year break.  I know, the school year brings its own challenges like endless homework wars, getting kids out of bed in time for first period battles, and the frequent trips to games, parent-teacher conferences, meetings, activities, hanging out sessions, and all of the other fun....Okay, I just remembered that in parenthood, there is no rest for the weary.  The school year is as bad or worse than the summer break--same challenges, different time of the year.  Never mind....no break for parents after all. 

Author Recommendation: The Inspirational James Allen (1864-1912)

     Years ago I was introduced to the book As a Man Thinketh by the Englishman James Allen.  To this day, little is known about him but the literary works he left behind speak volumes about his greatness.  I read As a Man Thinketh over and over at various times in my life; each time I was left in awe at the man's almost unparalleled wisdom.  Each time, as well, I benefited as a person.  That book, his third, was published in 1903 and remains in publication today.  You can read the relatively short book online here:  .http://jamesallen.wwwhubs.com/think.htm.  The following quote, along with hundred others in this book, is a good illustration of Allen's depth and vision:   

     "Men do not attract that which they want, but that which they are. Their whims, fancies, and ambitions are thwarted at every step, but their inmost thoughts and desires are fed with their own food, be it foul or clean. The "divinity that shapes our ends" is in ourselves; it is our very self. Man is manacled only by himself. Thought and action are the jailers of Fate - they imprison, being base. They are also the angels of Freedom - they liberate, being noble. Not what he wishes and prays for does a man get, but what he justly earns. His wishes and prayers are only gratified and answered when they harmonize with his thoughts and actions." 

     Recently, because of my Kindle and a discussion with a friend, I discovered that Allen had actually written 19 books in his lifetime.  Clearly, he was a pioneer in the self-help movement and a master of inspiration (never making any claim to any particular religion).  His words reach the core of life--the mind and spirit.  He has a profound ability to help people reflect, ponder, and want to do better.  He does so without the use of guilt because he simply spells out true principles he learned and lived.
     His entire 19 book collection is available for extremely reasonable prices at bookstores and on kindle.  I am currently reading The Seven Pillars of Prosperity and am thoroughly enjoying it.  I recently read "The Way of Peace" and loved it.  He is inspirational without being preachy.  He just speaks truth as he sees it through his wise eyes.  He understand life and nature at a level reached by few authors is in history.  

James Allen, a Relatively Unknown Genius Whose Writings Can Change Your Life.

     His books are generally short and to the point.  You will find that his books are full of almost endless quotables--many you may want to memorize.  His works can change your life.  He does not espouse any particular religion.  I love what his wife purportedly said about him and his works:  "He never wrote theories, or for the sake of writing; but he wrote when he had a message, and it became a message only when he had lived it out in his own life, and knew that it was good. Thus he wrote facts, which he had proven by practice."  That statement is so true.  I can see his thoughts in the writings of Napoleon Hill, T.S. Elliot and other great self-help gurus.  I have not found his equal.  He died when he was only 48 years old.  His works live on as timeless masterpieces. 

     I am currently reading his Eight Pillars of Prosperity from 1911.  As usual, I am grateful for his wisdom and insights into life, living, and growing gracefully.  If you take my recommendation and give him a chance, you will not regret it.  I am confident that his enlightenment will become, to some degree, a catalyst to greater light in your mind and life.  Happy reading.

Do Not Attempt to Use Technology in Front of Your Teenagers.

     If you have teenagers, you need to read this.  If you have kids who will become teenagers, you need to read this because your day is coming.  Here’s the deal—you quietly and innocently sit down at the computer to enjoy some social media, to download music, or just to surf the web.  Everything is great because you are doing all the things you know how to do and want to do.  You have no clue whatsoever about the multitude of shortcuts, secret maneuvers, and powerful function keys hiding on the keyboard.  Your teen sits down by you to “help” and the battle begins immediately.  You find out you are clueless, stupid, and embarrassing, all at the same time.  “Dad, why are you clicking twice?”  “Dad, why are you typing “http,” or “www” in your searches.  “Are you kidding me, a three year old could figure out your password.”  “Really Dad, you think that Kiddy-Care Internet Protection software is going to block me from anything when I can find 63,000 sites in 37 seconds that provide the codes for breaking through the porous protective wall --without breaking a sweat.”  Inferred with each question is some derogatory sentiment about my dwindling IQ.   As far as our teens are concerned we are an absolute embarrassment to the World Wide Computer Family and card-carrying members of the Wi-Fi Hall of Shame.  The smug look on their face affirms their sense of superiority.  Why do we put up with it?

Teen Techies or Parent Tech Abusers (they have Mom right where they want her)?

     They just don’t understand that some of us actually lived in a world that had no computers.  I touched my first computer keyboard during my first year of college.  I don’t have megabytes running through my veins.  At the most, I have a 64 kb IBM PC in my veins that includes a tacky time-management gimmick I “programmed” in BASIC.  Our kids cannot comprehend that we are clueless with a cause.  We were just born too late to ever quite get it all.  They are just going to have to accept that we are thrilled that we remembered our password once again, have 24 friends on Facebook, and have discovered that 80’s disco music is actually available online. 

     Parents--unite against the computer tyranny of our teens.  Be proud of our blissful ignorance and help them know that we are part of the greatest generation—the bridge generation that knows what life was like pre-computer and now, as a result, has a healthy perspective about the privileges of the wondrous age of information—even if we don’t know all of the tricks.   We, after all, typed on typewriters and used white out.  Let’s see them try that little trick!  Someday our kids will beg us and even need us to teach them how to NOT USE computers to answer all of life’s mysteries.  Don’t give up hope.  Our kids still need us—we have purpose.  They just don’t know it.  If you don’t believe me, just do a Google search:  “Do my teenagers need me?”   On second thought, maybe that is not such a good idea.  I just did it and now I am more scared and confused than ever.  Good luck fellow amateur techies with hardwired kids.  Hold on to the memories, if nothing else.