Last night, in the haze of alcohol, I went to bed seriously pondering what I would pack if I had a very short evacuation notice. I considered the logistics of Purrball in her carrier, her food, dishes, toys. I considered what pictures and important items I would want to save if I could. In the end, I was sure I would need the medium-sized wheelie suitcase, but then, how would I know if I'd be able to take that much, given that we don't have a car so we'd be dependent on public services for evacuation. It's tricky stuff. And it's not the first time I've thought about it as I grew up in the North, where we could see the smoke from forest fires a couple dozen miles or so out of town. Indeed, between floods and fires, I've seen my share of Northern communities evacuated to Yellowknife, and it's something that I've always had to consider.
This morning, my dreams seemed to pick up where I left off. I was dreaming about what stuff I would have packed and ready to go if we were being evacuated from a lockdown scenario. This spring, in the wake of the Boston Marathon bombing, we all watched as the city and environs of Boston were on total lockdown while police hunted for the suspects. What would I think to grab if I was stuck in my home all day long and had to prepare to be moved out quickly at any time?
The two scenarios present different challenges and quite clearly there are differences in the decision-making process. The first case is based on panic and moving quickly, while the other is more deliberate. Who's to say that one situation leads to a better outcome than the other? You could argue that the quick scenario forces you to think about what really matters, but it also leads you to forget some important things too. The long scenario allows you to be quite careful, but it risks being too much to take.
One thing is clear: my cat above all else.
My brain is a strange place...
...Wish you were here.
No comments:
Post a Comment