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I don’t know about you, but at our house we were breathing a sigh of
relief 10 years ago that Y2K was a non-event. We took the threat
seriously, not because we assumed anything dire would happen, but because we
wanted to be in a position to take care of ourselves and help others if
something did. So we put aside food and flashlights. We started quite a ways in advance,
adding a box of this or bag of rice each week to our grocery shopping.
Eventually we had enough supplies to last a few weeks. And I learned lots of
ways to cook rice and beans (a skill that I’ve used plenty in the years since).
When this winter hit, we were glad that we had made contingency planning a
part of our routine. Here in North Carolina, it’s been unusually cold, but not
like what the midwest has experienced. Nonetheless, we woke up one morning to no
water. We had power, but the water line had frozen. We didn’t have to think
twice about where water for our morning coffee would come from. We went
downstairs and grabbed a gallon, had coffee and oatmeal, and were back in
business and ready to go deal with the frozen water line.
“Contingency thinking” is kind of a way of life for me, as it is for many
horse people. In the same way a pilot makes a pre-flight check, I consider:
*
What if we don't have power? Can't pump water from the well. Heat pump won't
work. Cordless phone won't work, and so forth.
* What if there's a gas
shortage or other supply disruption? No food in grocery stores. Can't run out to
buy hay.
Still, however well you think through the what ifs, there’s only so much you
can control. You can make preparations, but then you have to be flexible in
order to determine what’s an inconvenience and what’s a crisis.
Fortunately, good horse folks (and parents) have lots of practice when it
comes to inconvenience. We prepare the best we can, then roll with the punches.
I am excited to see what 2010 will hold.
P.S. Thank you for the holiday greetings and nice comments you’ve sent
regarding “An Extra Flake.” I am thrilled that it has been an
encouragement to so many people. Thank you for spreading the word about it. If
there’s anything I can do to help you, don’t hesitate to write me. (In 2009, I
began a free daily inspirational email for horse people called, “An Extra
Flake.” To subscribe, go to http://www.inspiredbyhorses.com/subscribe)
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