It’s Smart To Prepare… It’s Useless To Panic

I hate to admit that I was one of the many people running around like a chicken with my head cut off this past weekend stocking up for the days of no power or water that we all thought would accompany Hurricane Irene. Five gallons of water, 3 days worth of dry, ready-to-eat food and several candles and flashlights later, I find myself staring out my kitchen window into my swamp of a backyard, my biggest problem being my dogs’ hesitance to go outside and do their business. Totally caught up in the panic that every news station in the Northeast seemed to be relishing in, I became a victim of my own fear and ended up with a cabinet full of food that I generally don’t enjoy eating. And about $150 less in my bank account.

I’m not saying, of course, that it’s a bad thing to be prepared. Certainly, it isn’t wise to enter into any situation we are uncertain of unarmed. But was all of the insanity really necessary? I’d have to say no. There is a certain amount of risk we take every day. When we get in our cars, there is the possibility of an accident. When we eat at a restaurant, we are susceptible to food poisoning. We can be robbed, attacked or even killed at any given moment- even in the comfort and privacy of our own homes. Are these things that are likely to happen? Of course not. But there is always the possibility. So does that mean we should become absolutely consumed with preparing for the worst simply because the worst can happen? If we want to spend our lives in fear, sure.

What is going to happen is going to happen. Being prepared is smart. It’s practical. But being afraid is useless.

As my boss would say… onward through the fog.