There is hope...

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I started a thread on Jan. 22 asking for help writing a letter to my extended family about preparing for Y2K. Most of them live in a state of denial and do not like to hear bad news. After alot of agonizing and writing and rewriting, we sent out the letter last week. We expected our families to either ignore us, laugh at us or plan an intervention.

Well what a shock it was when they started calling asking for more information! My Mom actually said that they had been very worried but were afraid to talk to us because we might think them demented... My husband's parents had already planned a trip to come talk to us about this very subject.

I feel about 100 pounds lighter. What a relief it is to know that our families will start to prepare. We are far ahead on the learning curve and are preparing information packages to send out this week.

My reason for writing this is to encourage everyone to talk to your families. If our family can GI, there is hope for everyone.

Thanks to all who made suggestions before.

Mom

-- Mom (kitty@cat.com), March 03, 1999

Answers

Mom:

I've had a fair bit of luck with my family. Helps that one brother in law is a systems analyst and has seen the moving deadlines.....

Also helps that my mom has always been sure that computers would be the ruin of America.

Moving my family to the country

-- Jon Williamson (jwilliamson003@sprintmail.com), March 03, 1999.


Mom,

We really happy for you. Cherish that family.

-- Greybear (greybear@home.com), March 03, 1999.


Warning this is long, sorry! ;-) Mom,

Congrats on you success!! I know the relief of which you speak, when I approached those closest to me with y2k I made sure I was armed to the teeth with info from credible sources! I was sure they would think I lost my mind. But they didn't.

Both of my Parents GI. (they are divorced)

My Dad is always prepared anyway, (his furnace(s) are gas & or wood burning) He doesn't think it will last long (so his level of GI is debatable) but as I said he's always stocked up, and responds positively to prep. suggestions. Whew!! BTW in Jan. (when I GI, late I know) I gave him a copy of the last Senate Sub Committe Hearings, more credible to most than 'someone on the internet'. I think it did it's job. (Also selected quotes from 'credible' people.)

My Mom has two fireplaces, wood, and always stocks up anyway. I keep nagging her to store water. She's kind of slow to take action.

My best friend is a GI, but she's the kind of person that has constant traffic through her big city house and is feeling a bit overwhelmed by all of the people who will be looking to her the pillar of strength & brilliance for help. I don't blame her. She always says "I know God had you call me today, because I've been slacking off in my preps."

Hubby is a GI also. BTW his response to the info that trickles out always parallels the Yourdonite response (not bad for a lowly Teamster)

All in all, I consider myself blessed beyond reason between the people here, and those that surround me in the flesh. Plenty of folks with their brains planted firmly in their heads.

There are others I love that DWGI, and I honestly don't think I have a chance to convince them. They are so firmly rooted in denial that Sen. Bennett could knock on their doors and say, y2k will be TEOTWAWKI, and they would tell him he is misinformed. They are considerably older than I, and consider themselves to be much wiser, you know 'y2k is a scam, you poor gullible child', type of thing. O.K. I tried. I will have to close the door on the Ark eventually. I love my children more.

BTW my son's teacher wrote on his last report card that 'he has a strong ability to see the way things are interconnected & the big picture' (I swear this is true) he's 8, he GI by overhearing things I was reading my Hubby, 8 year olds love to eavesdrop (oops, bad idea, bad Mommy) so he was a bit anxious, but I explained that we are preparing for anything that could happen, I told him it is our job to take care of him, we always have & this won't be an exception. He sees the preps, and seems to be at peace. My younger daughter is oblivious, which is just as well right now. As time goes by we will involve them more in the process.

I would be interested to hear from other parents of young children. Do they know about y2k, how has it affected them, how is your family handling this aspect?

Hang in there everyone!!!!

-- Deborah (info@wars.com), March 03, 1999.


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