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It is a sad but true maxim that sweeping change almost always follows on the heels of disaster. The historical record is replete with examples of this truism. Think about it for a moment... It took massive damage from earthquakes for the west coast to realize that it had to regulate the design and construction of buildings to withstand the geophysical forces of nature. Modern fire protection designs and regulations all have a disturbing history in blood -- devastating events that taught us in a graphic and unsettling way that we need to take action to prevent similar events from happening again. Seat belt laws are in place precisely because of the staggering number of lives that were destroyed by automobile accidents. History-altering wars have begun, and are still being waged, because of sudden and dramatic shock-and-awe events. And even in our personal lives, it frequently takes horrible surprises, such as an unexpected heart attack, to shock us into purposeful action.
It's almost as if we humans are wired for the mundane...some bizarre DNA glitch that pre-programs us to expect (demand?) that tomorrow will look just like today, which we assume, should look pretty much like yesterday. Apparently, we are programmed for incrementalism, and it takes the big black swan -- that unforeseen, unpredictable, low-frequency-high-consequence event -- to get our attention. We earthlings need to be swept off our feet, have the air knocked out of our lungs, and generally get the crap beat out of us before we sit up, take note and change our perspectives about the world around us.
Enter 2011.
We have already written about the strange and goose-bump-raising dramatic increase in bizarre and extreme events that 2011 entrained in its wake. From bird and fish kills to global revolutions to the Japan tsunami and pending nuclear catastrophe, this year has slammed into the collective psyche like a runaway freight train, destroying lives in its path and shattering preconceptions of our happy Gomer Pyle notions of 'normal'. (Suddenly a Steven King novel seems to be a more apropos metaphor for our changing times.) And because of these events, people are starting to wake up, and they are taking action.
Clearly, the world is changing. And the good news: it appears as if we are too...
Since the Japan earthquake, worldwide interest in Emergency Preparedness Supplies, Freeze Dried Food, and Survival Kits has literally shot off the charts, wiping out entire warehouses and sending production plants into round-the-clock shifts to keep apace with the demand, which we are not doing I'm sorry to report. Delays in shipping of Freeze Dried Foods and MRE's is 4-6 weeks, and for some suppliers, 3-6 months. The demand for emergency supplies is overwhelming, and as of this writing, 5 weeks after the Japan earthquake, it is continuing unabated. And while the delays are a drag, it is a clear sign that people are getting prepared.
Clearly, people are waking up and recognizing that preparing for an unforeseen and unpredictable future in these challenging times is a reasonable action. And while we can all agree that it is a sad state of affairs that requires us to become 'Preppers', it is nevertheless, the world that we live in.
Be hopeful...but be prepared.
