Pandemic Preparations

Our first unanimous poll!!!  MJ we are going to name you our honorary consensus builder!

Seriously though, we have batted this issue around for about 6 weeks.  It's a painful issue and one where we are going to have to make hard choices and draw firm lines.  Let's just keep hoping the day will never get here as we prepare for its arrival.  Schizophrenia at its finest.

I told all of my friends at work, which is to say everyone (I work in an office of 8) about the bf several weeks ago.  No one seemed all that interested. 

The other day, I said something to one of my best friends about preparing and his comment was something like, "how can I forget, you wont stop reminding me of your conspiracy theories." 

Guaranteed he will be one of the first to ask to stay with us.

It's gonna suck telling him to reap what he's sown.

I have stopped mentioning it at work.  The usual responses are "I don't want to think about it" or "I have more in life to worry about than that".  So I have to be careful or I will get in trouble for being negative.  I then buy more masks and Sambucol.

MJ,

Every day more people get on the band wagon.  Some of us Flubies have been watching almost since the beginning back in '97.  Others since SARS.  Still others since the beginning of '05.  Everyday there are people who stumble across something that makes them sit up and take notice. 

Just because a person is a DGI today doesn't mean that they will still be clueless a week from now. 

BTW: In answer to your question...I have convinced exactly ONE person in my two years.  Everyone has to just come to this issue on their own terms and in their own time. 

For those you care about just keep sending them information...one good article every day or two and hope that the light will dawn before it's too late.

I managed to get several people to prepare for Y2K ..... back in 1999.
Luckily that turned out to be a blank, but it makes it extra difficult to convince people for BF.
I've been accused of crying wolf 'again'

So, succeses: zero
failures: a lot!

Marjo

BTW, I'm not telling people that I have stashed several month's worth of food, water and other things! That way I hopefully don't have them turning up on my doorstep when TSHTF....

Got one of my brothers worked up a few months back about BF, then his wife calmed him down. She said tamiflu too expensive. they just got back from a vacation. no $ for preps but can vacation in Gatlinburg.

My relatives know I'm preping while I'm down here in Lousiania till mid Feb. One brought me a couple of cases of MRE's left over from Katrina to take back to TN. Yet none of them are preping, even after Katrina.

My brother still scans the news and says keep him posted.

Now with all this cure talk spead by the government media to keep us calm, those who were on the fence will probably decide to go to Gatlinburg or Disneyland.

I have a deep understanding of people and intereaction of the human character and it's frailities. That's why i don't count on a cure reaching me. Besides I will not be put in a position to bow down to the distributiors.  If and when there is a cure I'll get it on my own terms.

Mostly now I keep my mouth shut about BF after mentioning it a couple of times to an individual.

Usually I say,"Have you heard about the BF in the news?" Nobody ever comes back with questions. Most know or have heard about it.

The only one I can talk to sparingly about BF is my mother in law in Tennessee.  They can and put back alot of food normally each summer. They are old timers. They grow a big garden every year and can mountains of stuff. The problem is they have about 5 grown kids and thier kids and great grand kids eating of their table.  The food won't last long.

I plan on feeding a few but it won't be glamorus. haqve extra rice,beans, corn and wheat.

What alarms me the most is that the government is putting the word out, the media is putting the word out in a limited fashion and literally endorsing people to prep.  Where are the empty shelves?

I agree with AuntBones--I just don't talk about it anymore.  I've done a reasonably good job of preparing and have resigned myself to leaving everyone else out of it.  Even the local newspaper recently ran an article on the business repercussions should bird flu become a pandemic.  When I bring up that we should consider a pandemic plan, I am looked at with nervous glances of disdain or ridicule.  I'm even starting to doubt myself at times and wonder if I'm overreacting.

Thank you all for your posts.  I've had about the same responses from people when I  bring up the idea of making plans in case of a pandemic. They usually say to me: "you are worrying too much---the B.F may never get here" or "I'll have plently of time to get to the grocery store as soon as the first case of B.F gets to the U.S.".   I have tried my best to warn friends and family. I think I will take the advice that many of you have posted: Stay informed and try to keep loved ones updated as much as possible. Maybe one day they will realize that it is impt and will start making preparation.

I've also made a few extra "boxes" of food to hand out in case neighbors show up at my door to borrow some food. I've put some bottled water, some cans of food, a few supplies in there to give out to them.  (I don't think that  my neighbors would actually want to stay with me-- I really think they'd all come buy to get some food to take back to their homes.) That way, I have the boxes ready so that I don't have to go digging through my stuff to find things to give out. (also, then they will be inside my house for as short a time as possible because I do think it's important to limit exposure from other people) I know that probably does sound paranoid or mean, but if I am going to isolate myself and my immediate family in my house for a while, I want to try to limit contact with others as much as possible to minimize spread of the flu.

Thanks again everyone for your great posts!!


Edited by jackson

I think it best not to tell anyone that you are preparing for anything. If something does happen, be it bird flu or a terror strike, They will be banging your door down for all your preperations. And they won't be nice about it. It's to dangerous. Why should you pay the price for there ignorants. God forbid your neighbor comes to your door with bird flu. They will take your stuff and leave you with bird flu. I don't have a gun, but I will be getting one real soon, and learn how to use it. I don't like guns, but I feel it nesassary. And I won't think twice about protecting my family from looters. Please keep your preps to yourself.

 

I quit talking about the bf also, but last month, i gave each of my children $250 to buy emergency foods at Sams and another $50 to buy bottled water for an emergency.  They all said they did it and i sent the money, I can only hope they were truthful.  I know it isn't much to give, but maybe it would get them to thinking a little about the coming emergency and start adding to their preps.  A parental unit can only do so much.

Wow, Magic!  That's impressive.  I'm embarrassed about my sorry ONE.  I just gave up.

I was talking to people about it but stopped. The only one I keep harping on is my best friend. I told him yesterday that "I am going to keep pestering you on this and I don't care if you get tired of hearing it from me." If it comes down to it I'll just tell him to give me money and I'll go out and buy stuff. We will end up pulling our resources anyway.  Today he mentioned the Iraqi girl case that he read on the internet. So now he's thinking. My family lives across country and are used to prepping for hurricanes and I turned them onto the Oprah episode. I can't be as forceful with others so everyone else is on their own. And like so many have mentioned I don't want people knowing what I have. It could get ugly.

Hello! I just recently started my preps.  My husband and I are having a hard enough time making sure we'll have enough supplies for our two children, us, and our dog. I've tried to start conversations with our parents and siblings, but no one believes that this will turn into a pandemic.

 I've decided to keep our preparations to ourselves. I don't want people to know what I have stored. It could be dangerous knowledge for others to have. You don't want people to panic and remember what you've been saying about your stock of supplies. You don't want to have to forcefully keep people out of your house. Especially if you have children.

I'm not a mean person, but when it comes to my kids they come first.  Before my parents, siblings, etc. We are just not going to allow anyone to stay with us during a true pandemic. During a pandemic, you have no idea how long it will actually last. You also don't know how long you have until the next "wave" will hit. There may not be enough time in between Waves to stock up on more supplies.  Even if you think you have a certain  amount of supplies, they may not actually last that long.  Giving away supplies, even planned "extra" supplies, may be a big mistake. You may end up needing those for your own family.

 

 I can be very "tell-it-like-it-is", even with immediate family members. They will just have to survive on their own. They are adults. You just have to remain strong and remember that you must take care of your own family first, no matter how bad it gets for others. 

If your spiritual, pray for them. That's the best thing anyone can do for another person. And sometimes it's all that we can do.

Just remember-even handing out small amounts of supplies to a few people will draw attention to your home. You'll just have to use your best judgment during the pandemic, regarding when and if you should give out supplies.