rocking horse publishing « Robin Writes

Recently, I’ve been reading a few articles about “something big” coming, this fall, to a location near you. What big “event?” No one knows, but there are a lot of theories, the usual suspects.

Some are expecting civil unrest, or economic collapse, or war, or an EMP event. I don’t even pretend to understand the ramifications of the latter, but the first two seem, to me, much more imminent. Will it happen this fall? I don’t know. I do expect sooner rather than later, and yes, that’s vague, but it’s really all anyone’s got at this point. Maybe the “experts” know more, but I suspect it’s mostly conjecture on their parts, too.

The timing is tricky. We all know things have been happening around the world, even here in the US, that could contribute to any of these things. But here’s the problem: the media, and social media in particular.

News media used to be perhaps a morning show and the evening telecast; now it’s 24/7, and not just on the three major networks, but hundreds of channels broadcasting. Plus the Internet, and all it entails: YouTube, blogs, ads, online newspapers—both those in print and E-zines. News is everywhere, and some outlets are more reliable than others.

And that’s not even mentioning the bias that’s inherent in major news outlets. Come on, we’ve all seen and heard it, you all know what I’m talking about.

And what’s a more compelling a headline, “Gloom and Doom Imminent!” or “US Economy Now Similar to 1930s and We All Mostly Survived?” I’m making these up, obviously, but I want to urge all of you to make your own decisions, go with your gut, whatever it takes to make a plan.

Really, how can you know for sure? Even experts can’t reliably predict a large-scale natural disaster, except in the movies. You should, at the very least, be prepared for that, with more than a gallon of water and a flashlight.

We have a plan. Whether we’ll need to move forward with that now or in six months or less or in five years or never doesn’t matter. If something happens, we’re ready, but in the meantime, we live our lives. Just a bit more cautiously, perhaps.

We don’t hang out in large crowds or travel to dangerous areas. We have food and supplies. We have a place to go. We can defend ourselves. What does this sound like? I’m expecting civil unrest leading to economic disaster. Ever since the Michael Brown shooting, things have been going downhill. Fast.

What can you do? For starters, have an emergency plan in place. A plan to gather all family members, at a location of your choosing, probably your home. A disaster or “event” probably isn’t going to happen on a weekend when you’re all together.

Store enough water to have a gallon per day per family member, for at least three days. Alternatively, you can hope for notice before the public water system is cut off or contaminated and fill empty containers—which you should also store. And that three days? That’s what FEMA recommends, but personally, I’d shoot for a week.

Stock up on food, also for the imaginary three days or longer. Food that you and your family will actually eat, even junk—although I’d caution against the latter. Nutrient-dense food is best; less to buy, less to store. And always do first in, first out; rotate, like the grocery stores.

Check your power sources, especially for cooking. You can cook anything on a grill or in a firepit that you can cook in your kitchen. Have flashlights, candles, matches, and extra batteries too. Radio, too, for updates and news.

If it’s winter, make sure you’ve stored extra blankets. You can always layer-up, and if you have a fireplace or firepit, have some extra wood on hand. Wouldn’t hurt to have backup propane, either.

Keep some cash on hand. If the power goes out, no ATMs, no grocery checkout, no gas—and speaking of, keep your car’s tank at least half full.

With all the electronics available today, TV channels, etc., it would be smart to have some entertainment available: cards, board games, crafts.

I’m not going to go into home defense here, although I think everyone should consider it. It doesn’t have to be a gun. However, all family members should have some idea of self-defense and you should have a plan in case of home entry. All of this is, of course, a “just in case” scenario.

But stop and think for a moment: regardless of a “big event” coming this fall, or next year, or in ten years, or never, ANY area is subject to the possibilities of flood, fire, tornado, hurricane, earthquake, strikes, riots, disease, and a host of other things. Also, the US is not insulated from the rest of the world. Keep that in mind. Many of us tend to think too provincially, in spite of the Internet and global connection.

I posted on Facebook that I wasn’t “offended” by a damn thing. Some of my friends commented to “give me time,” figuring they could come up with something…some of them posted things that they thought I SHOULD be offended by…

So here’s the deal:

You know when you say, “No offense,” to someone you may have just unwittingly insulted? This is the true meaning of “offense.” Well, other than the one with criminal connotations. We’ve all blurted out things to someone, immediately following with that “no offense,” just in case that person was part of what we’d insulted.

And we all cut our friends more slack on their views than we do someone we’ve never met or with whom we have little or no personal connection.

It rather amuses me to see the things people claim to be “offended” by:

Using a rainbow to symbolize LGBT. Telling Christians what they can or cannot say. The Confederate flag.

These are just a few that have lately been in the news.

Do any of these things “offend” or “insult” me? No. Not a bit. Anything else? Nope. Not that I can think of at the moment. Feel free to comment and see what you can find…

However, yes, some things “concern” me, and I use that word to indicate that things like infringing on freedom of speech and trying to eradicate a symbol of Southern heritage should not be happening. Should. Not.

I can see some of you asking “why??” Or “why not??” And I’ll tell you.

Here in the US of A, we have freedom of speech. Period. Yes, the old “you can’t yell ‘fire’ in a crowded theater” definition still applies, but we’ve become a nation of pansies, wimps, wusses, whatever word you want to use. Words are changed or eliminated because “someone takes offense.” Bullshit. Get over it.

Let’s talk about the flag. Right or wrong, wherever you stand on racism or slavery is your right to do so. Me, I happen to think both are wrong, but—here it comes—the Confederate flag is part of our history. ALL of us. It can be a source of pride to some, shame for others, but no one alive today was actually PRESENT during the Civil War or immediately before and after. NO ONE.

My ancestors, Wilford, Alford, Buford, and Stanford, fought for the South. None owned slaves. I certainly can’t say whether they agreed with racism or slavery; I never met them, obviously. And no, I did NOT make up those names. Last name was Smith. Naturally.

These boys—and Stanford was 14 when he joined up—fought for states’ rights, another platform of the War that has been all but forgotten. Sure, one of their so-called rights was to own other human beings, but let’s not lose sight of the entire picture, all the other rights that these folks felt the federal government was trying to take away.

And again, right or wrong, we can’t obliterate our history. Someone once said, “Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it.” Look it up.

In general, you can certainly dislike something, or even hate it. That doesn’t mean you are or should be “offended” by it. There are a lot of memes circulating now with the saggy pants picture, and the caption “I’m offended by this.” No, you aren’t. How could that possibly cause offense? Or insult? No, I don’t want to see some kid’s undies, but it doesn’t really affect me one way or the other. Never will, even by the most far-fetched extrapolation. I don’t like it, but that doesn’t make me offended.

So let’s leave this word, offended, alone for a while. See what happens when you truly stop and think before you use it. Are you instead insulted? Then say so—but be careful here, too, because what exactly does that mean?

If someone tells me I’m a crappy writer, I’d be insulted. Same for a few other things that I know I’m not, but some may have a different opinion—and that’s all it is, an opinion. In other words, it’s personal, and I’d be offended.

But truly, how can anyone be offended by someone else’s opinion, particularly that of someone you don’t know? It’s not personal, generally. Someone liking the Confederate flag or the rainbow flag or bashing Christians in no way diminishes MY thoughts, opinions, and feelings about any of these things.

Most of the time, when someone I don’t know disagrees with me, my thoughts include such gems as “You’re an idiot” or I simply shake my head, knowing that person is simply wrong. Sure, sometimes I’ll argue or debate, but mostly just for entertainment—or I’ll speak my piece and leave the conversation.

It’s not that I don’t care, but I don’t care that much for the opinions and feelings I believe to be wrong, and I know it’s an uphill battle to drastically change someone’s mind. I have the time and energy to take care of me and mine, and not worry overly much about unknown individuals.

And if all that offends you, well, too bad.