How refreshing. Too many times we act as if we cannot possibly live without our computers and our cells phones.
In the single word of one of my friends - Seriously?
Think about how far technology has come in the past twenty years. One generation. We've gone from land lines to cell towers. We've gone from computers that were large, bulky tower pieces of equipment to being able to "process" more on our phone than the original Apollo mission to the moon.
When did it get to be that we had to have all this technology just to "survive"?
One of the greatest, supposed, threats to the United States is a weapon called an electro magnetic pulse. EMP for short. Set off at the right places with the right amount of power and every single thing that runs off a computer chip will go caput. No cell phones, no cars, no electronic medical devices. In a blink, all of them would be either burned out or shut down.
Such a device would disrupt our power supply. Now that means no water, no refrigeration, no stoves. All forms of entertainment - no Netflix, Call or Duty, or Facebook. There are some folks probably better prepared to survive such an incident than most people, but unless someone actually goes out and studies how to survive off the land without any electricity and computers, those numbers are smaller than you'd think.
The Walking Dead has been on for several years now. For those of you, like me, who thought this show was about zombies, you'd be wrong. Initially, it was about survival against a foe no one had ever seen before. Now, it is about survival and keeping some semblance of civilization alive. It's about who control - brute power and fear tactics, or the use of force only when absolutely necessary.
Is that what would happen if we suddenly lost our power grid? It wasn't all that long ago we were worried with what was going to happen when the century changed. So many things were set to expire in 1999. We weren't sure essential services would be up and running on January 1, 2000. Instead, men and women went out in droves in the late 90's upgrading software and hardware.
Fear of what-if drove a lot of people to purchase items that would not requite electricity or computers to run. Those folks who spent a lot of time camping (the real stuff, not the RV pretend camping) had things like gas cookstoves, propane heaters, and other assorted camping materials.
Should there be a loss at home, they had the sleeping bags cold rated to negative thirty and more. They had basic equipment, and more, they had some know-how.
In the great Midwest, our farmers knew too, how to operate without power. In the Northeast where ice storms have knocked out power for weeks at a time, they too, had first hand knowledge with practical application.
I suspect that there is a lot of unseen threats the federal government prevents on a frequent basis. I'm pretty sure I don't want to know how many hijackings and bombs and shootings they've prevented. Sure there are some that great through and scar our psyches but I have a sneaking suspicion that it could be oh so much worse.
Still, I think I do have a responsibility for my own life, and the lives of those I love to have some semblance of preparedness. Do I have an adequate supply of candles, canned foods, water should I get trapped in my basement because of a tornado? Do I have the presence of mind to have a plan in place should I become trapped in my basement? Do I have the stamina to remain calm despite the destruction I might see? Can I make it to next light?
I live in a very large city. The chances of rescue coming soon are very high. But am I prepared for the very basic what-ifs? Just in case? Think of the power plant disruptions in Japan and the former USSR. How about the destruction created by Hurricane Katrina,
and Sandy or the devastation caused by the tornado in Joplin, Missouri?
I don't live in fear, but I don't want to live in ignorance either. Developing some basic survival skills seems like a good idea.
Can I possibly live a few days without technology, without all the gizmos and gadgets? It's something to consider.