After running some errands yesterday morning I returned back to our apartment to put groceries away and eat lunch. Around 1 p.m. a man from Questar knocks on my door and tells me that there is a gas leak just outside of the apartment building and that its bad enough that they are going to have to evacuate the apartment. He didn't know how long it would take to fix, but he didn't seem that worried so I didn't feel that worried either. I decided I would just go up to a nearby park and read for a while until the leak was fixed. So, I grabbed a blanket, a book, some water and some snacks, and headed out. I hadn't really felt like it was a big deal, I mean the Questar guy didn't tell me to take all my valuables or anything, but then I started thinking how unprepared I was if something bad did happen. What if there had been a fire and the whole apartment building exploded?! Maybe that's a little extreme, but there I was with nothing more than fruit snacks and string cheese to eat. Not much to live on if something had happened. I had my purse, and my car, but beyond that I hadn't grabbed anything of value. I wasn't even wearing good shoes. So, I started thinking about how I needed to be more prepared in case there was a real evacuation, like for a fire or a flood or something. What would I grab? Obviously string cheese is not enough.
Well, after a few hours the leak was fixed, nothing was harmed and we were allowed back into the apartments. When Phil got home I got out both our 72-hour kits and determined to improve them. That was easy for Phil's kit considering that all it contained was a bag of expired cup noodles and granola bars and an emergency blanket. That's your 72-hour kit Phil? (though honestly I can only say mine was better because my mom made it for me...) I added a washcloth, toothpaste, floss, razor, and toilet paper. Phil threw in some clothes as well as several items that he had gotten free from his job such as a first aid kit, mess kit, water bottle, and lantern. I added new food and water to both packs and a few other items that seemed important. So now, we both have pretty decent 72-hour kits that would at least sustain us for...well...72 hours.
I'm glad we at least have our kits, but the whole experience also made me think about what items I would grab if we really had to evacuate for good, or if our apartment (or house) was in real danger. I have lots of stuff that I love, but I would hope that if it came down to it, I wouldn't be too obsessed with material things. I would want to take our pictures, my scriptures, some special items from my mission, some of my favorite books, maybe a few other things of value (maybe I should make a list)...Well, in a way, I'm glad I had to evacuate yesterday because it made me think about all of this. I guess the moral of the story is, if you have to evacuate your house, grab the important things, not just the string cheese.
No comments:
Post a Comment