By Kellene Bishop
Preparedness Pro

Last night I was begrudgingly up until 1:45 a.m. Finally I resorted to a sleeping aid so that I could get some much needed rest. (Thank goodness it kicked in at 2:00 a.m.) In spite of being reasonably comfortable in my personal preparedness efforts to be independent and thrive regardless of the scenario, I do have a nagging thought that plagues me and won’t let me sleep at night. What keeps the Preparedness Pro awake at night? It’s YOU.

I’m sincerely worried about you. If I’ve ever smiled at you in a grocery store, communicated with you via letter or e-mail, attended church with you, or seen you in one of my classes, I worry about you. In fact, even when I get a solicitation call and hear a human voice, I worry about that person. Here they are going on in their life conducting a mundane task and they aren’t the least bit aware just how vulnerable they are. When I sit down for a meal in a public place and watch people walk by, I genuinely worry about them. I find myself very aware of the human connections in nearly every aspect of my life. My postal worker, my doctor, the tellers at the bank, the TV news anchors and even the kids who left an empty beer bottle on my lawn—these are real human beings to me, not just an interaction. I worry because the vast majority of the people are completely unaware as to what I believe is coming soon that will alter their lives tremendously. I worry not that trouble will come, but that when it does, real human beings will needlessly suffer because they failed to take action now. It’s as if they are seeing the rows and rows of beautiful harvest but assuming it will always be there, never spoil, and thus they leave the reaping for another day. There will be much suffering of real people as a result. This is why I worry.

You don’t have to be a Christian to see innumerable evidences that our nation is ripe for a bumpy ride. You don’t have to believe in global warming to notice that our weather patterns have been peculiar as of late and devastating to many. (For the record I am a Christian and don’t believe in the global warming rhetoric.) A person’s political affiliation does not exempt them from cause for concern. An earthquake or tornado does not set its boundaries of damage by voting precincts. Clearly this year’s wheat infestations are no respecter of religion, income level, or astrological sign.

The fact is, our nation’s currency is only one courageous expose away from being worthless. The performers are stoically committed to their charade, but commitment does nothing to alter reality.

I clearly expect Iran and Israel to be involved in a widely prophesied war within the next 3 months, the ramifications of which will be undeniable to our nation.

Our nation’s enemies are merely emboldened in their evil intents as they watch our economy fail, our leaders bumble, and our citizens do nothing noteworthy in response.

The swine flu may fall short of its mainstream media billing, but considering the alarming increase in the numbers of tuberculosis and other diseases which we had previously eradicated from our nation, H1N1 is simply a dress rehearsal of what is legitimately to come, in my opinion.

Regardless what the talking heads say, we are about to see a food shortage unlike any since the days of Joseph in Egypt. Even the wealthy will find themselves in want for wheat and sugar in due time. These are just a FEW of the obvious concerns that make up a perfect storm for the unaware and unprepared. This is why I worry about you.

There are at least 12 different studies which I’ve read over the last month which conclude that less than 2% of the homes in our nation are prepared any differently than those persons were who were involved in Hurricane Katrina—even after we all witnessed their suffering as a result of a lack of preparation. To me, it’s just as ludicrous as watching the 10th season of Survivor and seeing that they STILL can’t start a fire. You would think after a couple of seasons these so-called ardent fans who find themselves as contestants would have had enough time to figure out how to build a fire in the wild! The majority of the homes in this nation do not even have two weeks worth of food and water. In fact, some of you mistakenly believe that the water in the nearby lake is your own personal answer to water storage. That’s why I worry about you.

Some of you refuse to prepare for your own defense, thinking that the military or law enforcement will be miraculously available and trustworthy to aid you in your moment of despair. Over half of the homes that own firearms for self-defense do not have more than a round of ammo to go with them. I worry not only about you in this regard, but for our nation as a whole. No defenseless people have ever been able to obtain freedom and independence.

Some of you are working feverishly at a late hour to get prepared. But in your haste will you remember it all? Will there be enough time before you have to rely on what you have right now? For those of you who have seen a smidgen of light, don’t you wish you had started sooner in your preparedness efforts? I stay up at night wondering if you’ll be ready for what’s coming.

Some of you may have “stuff” but no sense. The solar oven has been sitting in your basement and you’ve never used it. The empty water barrels in your backyard are now an accepted part of the scenery. I once had a gal tell me that she LOVES her pressure cooker but she’s never used it with the lid on it. Some don’t know what a mortar and pestle is for, what to do with a shovel, how to ensure heat remains in a home, or how to filter their water safely.

Some of you have no plan for how to reunite with your family if you are ever separated. I’m sure there are lots of families who lived through those awful hours following 9/11 wishing they’d had a plan.

A wise friend once told me “People who stop living the way they believe, start believing the way they live.” In other words, I hear hollow excuses from countless individuals as to why being prepared in any capacity is “categorically crazy, unrealistic, impossible, irresponsible, and futile.” But these excuses will be inconsequential when the real turmoil manifests itself in their lives. This is why I worry about you.

Unfortunately, the problem is that none of you are reading this. Surely your loved ones have pleaded with you to get prepared, but you’re not inclined your comfort zone and fluffy state of mind to do so. Perhaps they will share this with you in another futile effort to calm their fretful minds. That’s why I worry about you. But that’s also why I do this every day. While I may not know your name, your history, or your dreams, I do know that there exists a beating heart and a soul beyond all of those formalities. I know that you are important to someone. And as such, I feel like you’re important to me. I may not ever benefit or change a single person through my knowledge and passion, but it won’t be because I did not give my all. I can answer to God with clean hands. May you go and do the same.

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