YOYO

Just this week we learned in the middle of the worst Winter weather ever to hit Texas that the mayor of Colorado City, Texas resigned after it became known that he informed the public on his social media post that they were on their own. He apparently stated "it’s not the local government’s responsibility to support you during trying times like this. Sink or swim it’s your choice!”

Perhaps he could have stayed silent, or found a better way to say the city didn't have the resources to help, and while his post might have been a little harsh, he was entirely correct. Each and every one of us should know YOYO. "You're On Your Own. "

I can't speak for the women of this country, but as a man, I know it's my responsibility to take care of myself and my family. I've known this most of my life. A little background.…

When I was 19 years old, I was making $2.40 an hour working at a cabinet shop. I saved up three full week's pay, about $300. Then I left Phoenix on an intracontinental ride on my Z1 Kawasaki. I first went to San Diego, then up the coast to Canada, across the Trans Canada Highway to Nova Scotia, then down the East coast and back to Arizona.

The problem was that I didn't save up enough money. At the ripe old age of 19, I hadn't yet learned about all the things that could go wrong, or that my motorcycle would need a new chain, rear tire and a host of other things by the time I got home. That, and I left in September or October, when the weather in Phoenix was perfect.

50 years ago gas was 36¢ per gallon, so a full tank was less than $2. Food cost me $1 a day; that was the price of a McDonald's cheeseburger, fries and Coke combo meal. Motels were about $5-10 per night. Motel 6 was called that because it cost $6 to stay the night. Super 8 cost $8. Days Inn was originally called 8 Days Inn for the same reason. (A little bit of historical trivia.)

When I got to Calgary, Alberta, I encountered an early Winter storm; I couldn't ride the bike in the snow, and I didn't have enough money for shelter. I had to save my limited funds for gas; I'd been camping out along the way and motels weren't in the budget. Even in 1971, $300 would only go so far.

On most nights I had simply been riding off the shoulder of the road and sleeping behind some trees so I was hidden from other travelers; on rainy nights I slept under pickup trucks on car dealer's lots. At the time I thought it was fun.

There were no cell phones in 1973, so I made a collect call home to my father and told him I was in danger of freezing to death as I was huddling outside in the snow and needed money. He said "You found your way up there by yourself; I'm sure you'll find your way back" and hung up the phone.

I never asked him for help again.

I can't remember how I handled the situation but obviously, I survived. But this was the first time I realized that I was really on my own Nobody was going to take care of me, except me. If I couldn't look to my own Father for help, I had better learn to take care of myself in a hurry.

Fast forward to the present.

Whether it's political unrest, climate change, natural, accidental or man-made disaster, sickness, pandemic or unemployment, each and every one of us has the personal responsibility to "Be Prepared".

I store ample medical supplies, drinking water and food for a year, camping supplies, cold weather gear, fuel, guns and ammunition, a lot of dog food, cash and many other things. I had some 350 rolls of toilet paper and paper towels before the world ever heard of COVID-19. I have fire extinguishers in my house and garage. I live in a rural area and store 40,000 gallons of rainwater for everyday use. I have an automatic backup generator just in case with 4250 gallons of propane storage.

When the pandemic caused people to panic and toilet paper and other commodities were out of stock, I called my friends and told them I could supply them with what they couldn't get at the stores, and offered to bring it to them. I knew the shortages would be short-lived and I could be generous.

I am NOT a prepper or doomsdayer right-wing fanatic. I was, however, a Boy Scout and the Boy Scout motto was and is "BE PREPARED" and I live that every day. And while I go Full Monty on everything, you don't need to be this extreme.

Life is like a game of chess; if you're not looking 6 moves ahead, you will probably lose. Proactive vs. Reactive.

Even if you live in the City and don't make a lot of money you can be prepared. Everybody should have a small generator and gasoline, extra food and drinking water. (Lots of caveats with this, but I'll explain in a future post). Forego some fast food meals, the latest cell phone, that new tattoo, cigarettes, booze or beer for a while and you can afford to be prepared. It's called prioritizing.

50-100 gallons of drinking water is cheap. A small amount of emergency food can be accumulated with your normal grocery order each week over the next year. You should NEVER have less than two weeks of food in your home. The local thrift store or Walmart will have winter clothing for sale come Spring. Walmart has cold weather sleeping bags at great prices. Half a dozen filled propane tanks and a portable gas heater and a camp stove will go a long way. All of these items are essential if you don't want to be a victim. If any member of your family needs special medication, you should have an extra month's worth on hand all the time. You should never let your car's fuel tank drop below one half. You should have an evacuation plan that's practiced by the whole family in case you need to leave home.

I recommend that EVERYONE get certified in CPR. Better yet, for very little money and one semester of evening classes, you or a member of your immediate family can become an EMT and learn how to handle many of your family's and friends' medical emergencies any day a crisis arises. Both of these can be done at your local community college.

The next time we have a Texas sized cold front move in, a tornado, hurricane, forest fire, pandemic or some other disaster, the stores may be empty of food, there may be no toilet paper or an ambulance may not be able to get to you. It's not a case of IF, it's a case of WHEN.

There is no excuse not to be prepared. It's just a case of priorities and planning. The great thing is that you can spend a little bit of money on supplies and preparation initially. Start small; every little bit helps.

Prepare for the worst and pray for the best. If you are really lucky, it will be a complete waste of time and money.

You should never expect the government, friends or family to take care of you and yours. It is your responsibility. Always depend on yourself because depending on other people is a fool's errand.

And when you are prepared, you can use your good fortune to help others, as we all should.

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Branch Rickey: "Luck is the residue of hard work and design".

Albert Einstein: "I am thankful for all of those who said no to me. It's because of them I'm doing it myself."