So even before 9/11, I was of the ‘we must be prepared for a disaster’ sort of mind. I didn’t take it to the extent that I apparently do now though, post kids & all, but the undercurrent of preparedness has always been there. Maybe it’s becuase I was a girl scout & we had that ‘always be prepared’ thing going on. But this need to have everything -  ”just in case”  – has proven itself worthy in many instances to the extent that I’ve heard “wow, you’re really prepared! (freak)” at least a dozen times in my life.

Here is a list of things in one of my disaster preparedness kits:

- The Emergency Car Kit -contains bottled water, first aid kit, basic flares & auto help road signs, extra diapers & wipes, a full change of clothing for both kids,  two disposable sippy cups, dried fruit, goldfish snack bags and gummy bears, two mini packs of crayons complete with mini coloring books, a blanket, window-hammer-thingy and a box of tissues. 

Why do I need all of these things? Is it due to possible terrorist attach or impending flat tire-itis? No in my mind it’s so when my car flies off a bridge into the shallow Hudson River, I’ll be equipped to get both kids freed from the up-side-down wrechage, dry, fed, watered & entertained after the emergency vehicles to pull us out of the marsh. This assumes that we actually survive the fall from the bridge without a scratch of course.

I have other bags as well, like the airline travel bag (even though we’re not flying anywhere) and my favorite -  ‘lost in the wilderness’ bag. Thanks to shows such as Survivor-man I now always carry with me 5 feet of electrical cord and the stuffing from an old car seat. You know, in case I need to track, kill & cook a grizzly with my bare hands to keep the kids happy until we trek our way out of the brush and back to the front yard.

My life as it stands today? Survivor Ready - now where is that signal flare…