As many people of the world watch Japan go through this disaster, I wanted to take the time to discuss what I have learned from this extremely unfortunate event.
- First and foremost, my heart goes out to all the people affected by this disaster, and I truly feel for them as a fellow human being.
- What I believe is one of the most important lessons learned from these kinds of events, is that nature has no bias. Old, young, rich, poor, we are all the same, and when nature changes violently, people die.
- The Japanese are a very stoic and proud people. The way they have handled this from the beginning has made me respect them beyond words. They are an amazing group, and I wish American’s could be that responsible and respectful. We are unfortunately not that evolved as a nation yet. These people are currently teaching all of us through their example.
- The tsunami showed a hidden secret of preparation that the survival/prepping community does not like to talk about. Why prep, when all preps can be washed away or buried in an instant, leaving you with nothing but the clothes on your back? I think the survival community is at a loss for words in a way. Here many of us are, telling you to prepare for the change that is upon us and a series of disasters seems to have blindsided the most prepared country in the world. Leaving the obvious question; what good did all those preps do? The true answer to those questions is that their basic preps didn’t seem to do much (I’m not talking about their infrastructural preps, those saved countless lives obviously). Does this mean don’t prepare then? No, it should if anything broaden your horizons as a prepper. As preppers, we know that we can only control how prepared we are for disasters. We can’t control all other variables. Things like if you are at home, or work, and if you’ll even survive the initial disaster need to be let go of because they are out of our control.
- With having said that, nothing beats knowledge. Any disaster preps you have on your person or at home are a bonus. If you happen to have a knife, and a way of starting a fire on you when you survive the initial disaster you are way ahead of the curve. If you are in your underwear with no shoes, you better have the knowledge and the know-how to build shelter and get a fire going as soon as you possibly can. As the saying goes in outdoor survival; “knowledge is easy to pack as it weighs nothing, and is always with you.”
- One thing we seem to not realize is that the Japanese people themselves were prepared, and that preparation saved countless lives. If that quake happened anywhere else in the world with that many people living in close proximity to it, the losses would have easily been double.
- The nuclear disaster, which was a disaster as soon as the first bit of radiation leaked, is actually not the fault of the people, but of the bureaucratic nature of their government (who is strikingly similar to ours with their smoke and mirrors.) I’m pretty sure the people were not thrilled to live next to nuclear power plants on an island with so much seismic activity. Like here though, they accept what they are told, as long as they can buy things and power up their many toys. (Quick Rant: My quick fix for our many ridiculous power solutions for this planet is simple: stop using so much power. By the time we reach an agreement about what is right or wrong, there will be nothing left to power.)
- Redundancies and back-up plans are never a bad idea. If you live in an area prone to flooding or earthquakes, then you need a fall back location. Having a second or third location with supplies, and making sure to not put all your eggs in one basket are the only way to be sure that you’re covered. Is this possible for most people? Of course not, but it is something to consider. Don't forget that you could always rely on close family members, and keep supplies there if they are OK with it.
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