Getting Caught With Your Pants Down

Prior to the start of the pandemic I was pretty good at keeping a well stocked pantry and quite a bit in our chest freezer in our garage.  I would stock up extra in time for winter so I wouldn't need to shop if the weather was bad and I wouldn't need much when I did shop.  With higher heat bills it was nice to cut back on our grocery budget to help offset that expense.

 

No one wants to get caught unprepared, but to be honest, I was completely unprepared when the panic shopping started on March 13th 2020.  I had decided at the end of 2019 to cut back and only shop for what we needed and not over shop anymore.  However, we were almost out of toilet paper and I had a digital coupon to pick up a 36ct package on sale.  The only problem was every single roll of toilet paper had already been purchased and the shelves were completely empty.  

As I stood and looked around at the long lines of people with carts heaped to overflowing I was shocked.  I'd never experienced anything like that before.  And pushing, shoving and arguing with total strangers was mind boggling.  I left the store telling myself we could cut up a sheet or drip dry, but I was out of there.  It was complete chaos and it was nuts!

 

At the time I never anticipated this situation lasting as long as it has, nor did I expect the snowball effect it created and how that has impacted so many facets of our lives.  Nonetheless, my gut told me then, that what I had witnessed and what I was about to experience would be like nothing I've ever really experienced before.  Within a few short weeks I had made a decision I had never thought I would make, not in a million years.  I became a prepper.  Not being able to go to the store and buy a package of toilet paper wasn't a huge deal, but that experience alone was a lesson.  You just never know.

 

I also believe that if you don't pay attention and learn then you put yourself at risk.  For me, I’m just not willing to risk my family and our wellbeing.  So I've been carefully, methodically and steadily researching, learning and prepping.  I know it is unlikely I can prepare for everything that might happen, but I feel better knowing I've prepared something.

 

Our world is rapidly changing all around us and our tomorrow remains unknown.  While I have no plans to dwell on the "what ifs" what I do choose to do is prepare as best I can for them.  I encourage you, if you haven't already, to do the same.  Put whatever resources you may have toward preparing for your future.  Get some long term food storage in place, add an extra package or two of batteries, get some candles, extra band-aids or Tylenol.  Do what you can with what you have and invest in your future.  Avoid panic shopping.  Become prepared so you don't get caught with your pants down, so to speak.  I feel it is important.