Your answers:
- 19 people (38%) said no.
- 22 people (44%) said yes, something minor (no one died but it was a big disruption to my life).
- 8 people (16%) said yes, something major (others died in the event but I survived).
That's a pretty big percentage (3/5 of the people who responded) who have lived through some type of disaster whether major or minor. All the more reason to be as prepared as possible for when the worst happens. BTW, any lessons learned by the survivors would be much appreciated in the comment section below!
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Editor's note: looks like the poll won't be up until tomorrow...some glitch with the computer I am using...
Sorry I missed your poll. I've never experienced a true "diaster", but I have lived through an economic collapse. Here's my two cents:
ReplyDeleteFor those who have never experienced a real-world currency collapse, it is a deeply disturbing & surreal experience. It will redefine how you see the world and change you forever.
I lived in Moscow from '93-'95 working as a private contractor to the U.S. government. I lived out in town, just like a regular Russian, except that I was priviledged to be paid in dollars, not rubles. People's lives were destroyed as the ruble collapsed. Gang violence went through the roof as they vied for territory. (I'm not making this up) Car bombings became 'normal'. Drive-by grenade attacks and shootings occurred daily. They weren't *trying* to maim regular folk, but plenty got caught in the cross-fire.
Some days the ruble lost up to 20% of its value. As soon as my Russian friends got paid they'd rush over to me (& other westerners) in hopes of selling their rubles as fast as possible (I only needed so many to get by each day.) 'Good', decent young women (law students, etc.) resorted to prostitution because there was no other way to make money. It was an awful and very sad thing to witness. People lost their souls.
But I'm glad I did get to witness that implosion, because now I understand. I "get it" now. It was the best education I ever received.
I hear all these young 20-somethings running around saying, "it could never happen here; this is America".
BS. It could ABSOLUTELY happen here. It can happen ANYWHERE, and it's going to be a gut-wrenching experience for everyone. They remind me of my grandparents' generation who came of age just as the Great Depression hit. It defined their lives. As a kid, I remember my grandmother would 'steal' all the little sugar packets at Denny's & IHOP, and stuff all the left-over biscuits in her purse as we left.
I always thought, "What the heck is wrong with her? She doesn't need all that crap!"
Well, "yes", she DID need all that 'crap'. It gave her reassurance. It made her feel safe. She remembered hunger. It was burned into her psyche. I'm afraid her past is our future.
Snoop-Diggity-DANG-Dawg
I survived a flash flood and learned one important thing.....get out fast...do not try to "save" your stuff, save your life.
ReplyDeleteI lost everything, including my car in one morning. I did not count on any help, but the Red Cross provided me a voucher for a new bed, I still donate to them to this day, it meant a lot at the time.
It was a hard learning experience, but it started me thinking about survival skills and plans, I also learned that you do not need a lot of stuff, it just weighs you down.