Today I have been realizing something. It doesn't matter who tells the public to prepare, they won't. I am not trying to sound pessimistic here but I am freaked out today. Now we have senators, bankers, doctors, lawyers, IT people, many experts from all directions saying "THIS IS NO JOKE" and very few are hearing it. The president has no credibility. We have no leader who could make a difference. Maybe mayors and governors could make an impact but it seems like only a small percentage of this level is really GI. I am feeling really anxious today. I am preparing but what for? I don't know how to handle the fact that hardly anyone around me is doing the same. Boy I feel freaked today. Help Mr. Wizard.......

-- a mom (weirded@out.com), June 16, 1999

Answers

Hang in there Mom. There are more of us than are willing to come out.

-- Will continue (farming@home.com), June 16, 1999.

mom: I feel the same way, all the time.

Here's one thought: At least SOME of your neighbors might be preparing in quiet, very deliberately telling no one, & lying about it to anyone who asks. That's what I tell myself while walking thru my pretty suburban neighborhood: "Some of these folks who seem so oblivious may actually be better prepared than I am."

Lots of "doomers" took a vow of silence months ago. Anyone who shrugs when you mention y2k may be among them. Ya never know.

-- they (walk@among.us), June 16, 1999.

Someone mentioned earlier that you can't prepare for the end of the world because you'd be outnumbered a thousand to one if the riots start and so forth. That may be true but it so happens that you can at least take the initiative for things about to happen. I heard a comic last night talking about health and he said that men are prone to suffer from unplanned heart attacks after they are 40. As opposed to what? planned heart attacks? You can't stop an out of control car from smashing into the side of your house but if you had some warning then maybe you'd be able to at least get out of the path of destruction. Well Mom, consider yourself warned about Y2K. If you don't know what to prepare for or how to go about doing it, then you could do a search on the WWW for "Y2K and prepardness".

I'm also sure that if you asked some members here for some links to something in specific they'd be happy to help.

Al-d mentioned the story of Noah and how he and the others were smart enough to build an ark but everyone else shrugged the warnings off. Well, one lesson to be learned from that is; Not everyone is going to be the strongest when it comes to the old laws of the jungle. I'd recomend doing whatever makes you feel like you have an edge over the weaker, stupid people. Let nobody make up your mind for you and definatley under no circumstances let a little criticism stop you. Oh, and if you do decide to do a little preparing, the rule of thumb is to keep it as quiet as possible, just in the event you were right and everyone else was wrong. You wouldn't want to defend your stock from looters/rioters that you yourself tipped off.

-- (planetz@zranch.org), June 16, 1999.

I've gone so far as to store food & water, and stock-up on batteries, but I don't try to convince anyone that things may get rough. I just ask people what their views are, and if asked myself say something to the effect, "Yep, it could get rough".

Although I live near a major city (burbs), I've done all I can without 1) moving or 2) buying a gun. I don't let on about my (humble) preps though, generally.

-- Anonymous99 (Anonymous99@Anonymous99.xxx), June 16, 1999.

Focus on your own preparations... what other choice is there? You can't control what others will do. It's clear many won't do a thing... they've been too well conditioned NOT to think, NOT to take personal responsibility.

-- Poppa Bear (anon@keep.yer.spam.2.yerself), June 16, 1999.

I feel the same way. I have family that know its going to blow, but don't want to participate in getting ready. I and my son and his fiance' have been doing it all. Everyone else living for the now and having a good time. No suppport at all. THey know I'll take care of it. Almost done. Just fine tunig special items for comfort.

-- ve (tryinhard@hotmail.com), June 16, 1999.

Hi Mom, I know exactly how you feel as I am a mom myself. If you ever want to talk and extange idea's, my email is real. Also, you might want to check out Dear Karen for helpful advice for women. Take Care.

-- shellie (shellie01@hotmail.com), June 16, 1999.

(1) Actually, it does matter. If our dear president had warned everyone to stock up for a couple of weeks, with reinforcement from various authorities, we might see a whole lot more preparedness. As it is...

(2) Even if some are not preparing, some gave the warnings, and were heard: I warned my kids and they seem to preparing to some degree. My pastor warned the congregation and a number of us are preparing (but I don't know how many were preparing before he was warning!).

-- Mad Monk (madmonk@hawaiian.net), June 16, 1999.

I think a lot of people are preparing and not talking. I have a few friends who are preparing and we are not talking much about it except to others we know are preparing. After one person said "If things get bad, we will go to your house", I decided to keep quiet.

-- Homeschooling Grandma (mlaymon@glenn-co.k12.ca.us), June 17, 1999.

My parents know I have been preparing. When I visited in January, I spent some of the "leisure hours" pouring through an old "Whole Earth" catalogue. I told them about y2k, but my mother brushed it off by saying that they already had earthquake preparations.

Later, I voiced concern that they find some sort of battery operated refrigeration for my Dad's meds. I passed on some websites for small units. Didn't get any reaction from them. Then the other day, my mother mentioned that she was stocking up on charcoal for y2k cooking. She also mentioned that both neighbors had swimming pools, so at least they would have plenty of wash water.

Point is, that y2k may be slowly sinking in. Contingency planning starts with a "what if" mindset. Half the battle is being receptive to possible scenarios and thinking about what you would do. Preparation is having the supplies on hand to allow you to "respond" to the scenario as you so choose, instead of being victimized by it.

-- marsh (armstrng@sisqtel.net), June 17, 1999.