Posted in Fatherhood
While I have weathered many a blizzard in Colorado, I can count on one hand the number of times we have been hit with one blizzard and then hit again the next week. Yet, here we are. The snow is coming down. The roads are becoming impassable, or nearly so. If you happen to live in an area that gets plowed, you may get out in a couple of days.
The good news is that people are taking the storm a little more seriously. I was just at Wal-Mart and it was very busy. People were waiting in lines for carts. Most people did not want to be there, including those that wore the blue vests. I had a unique opportunity to observe all this because my car wouldn’t start after I came out from the already thickening crowds. I bought a new battery and had them install it—thank goodness they do that because of my disability—and it still wouldn’t start. So I called a friend, even as the flakes flew, and asked him to come pick me up. He gets there, takes advantage of the opportunity to stock up, and we head out to the parking lot. I tried starting the car one more time and amazingly it started! We drove home, slipping and sliding at times, and we plan to be home for several days.
The bad news is at least ten people died in last week’s storm. Those are deaths that are directly attributable to the blizzard, like heart attacks from shoveling driveways and waiting for ambulances that were bogged down in the snow. According to several news sources, groceries have been delayed because of last week’s storm. Their absence was beginning to show on the shelves of Wal-Mart today. Bread was almost out as of 10:00 AM this morning, and cereals were also beginning to run out. It strikes me how delicate our infrastructure really is. In today’s economy, just-in-time delivery on everything from bread to baby wipes is the most profitable method of operation, but it is also the most dangerous option when you’re planning for natural disasters. Local and regional planners understand this, and that’s why they’re seeking to educate the public to develop a 72 hour supply stock for their homes. While this is better than nothing, I have to wonder if it is enough. Whether people really do supply themselves that well is unknown, and some folks refuse to do so or they’re unable to do so. Additionally, it’s debatable whether 72 hours worth of supplies is sufficient in light of an ENSO (El Nino) year. Back-to-back blizzards will get anyone thinking about their supply chain and whether society as a whole could cope with a regional or national disaster.
These are things I worry about, not that it really does any good. As a father, even a disabled one, it’s my job to look to my family’s overall welfare. My primary responsibility is to protect them from dangers, seen and unseen. Even though I worry, I’m not in a position to help society plan out it’s response to a crisis. Still, I am in a position to plan my family’s response to a crisis. A blizzard qualifies as a danger to my family. I am in my element when I plan out what we have to do or may need to do. Sure, it’s stressful, but I believe it’s part of the male mental framework to be able to function in a crisis. While women are typically better relational thinkers, guys tend to be better compartmental thinkers. They can isolate their emotions and make choices despite the emotional turmoil they may be facing. That said, guys also have trouble allowing themselves to process through emotions brought on by trauma and stressful situations after the fact. This is pop psychology, but it bears out in my own experience and with other guys I’ve known. Also, it makes sense in light of the rising cases of PTSD for veterans returning from Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom.
Guys are good in a crisis. That’s how God made us. They thrill to adventure. They crave a battle to fight and a beauty fight for. Men have wasted in suburbia under the droning 8 to 5 schedule, providing and caring for their family, but not having any overt and imminent dangers to defeat or battles to fight. The real threats for families today are more subversive and insidious. Fathers need to be asking themselves questions like:
The snow keeps falling. I think I may need to fire up the snowblower before it gets so bad I need to tunnel. I’ll write more later maybe. God bless you and keep warm.
PS: The most funny statement I heard at Wal-Mart today was when a clerk informed the other clerks of management's decision saying, "They're not letting any [clerks] leave until the roads are closed."
The good news is that people are taking the storm a little more seriously. I was just at Wal-Mart and it was very busy. People were waiting in lines for carts. Most people did not want to be there, including those that wore the blue vests. I had a unique opportunity to observe all this because my car wouldn’t start after I came out from the already thickening crowds. I bought a new battery and had them install it—thank goodness they do that because of my disability—and it still wouldn’t start. So I called a friend, even as the flakes flew, and asked him to come pick me up. He gets there, takes advantage of the opportunity to stock up, and we head out to the parking lot. I tried starting the car one more time and amazingly it started! We drove home, slipping and sliding at times, and we plan to be home for several days.
The bad news is at least ten people died in last week’s storm. Those are deaths that are directly attributable to the blizzard, like heart attacks from shoveling driveways and waiting for ambulances that were bogged down in the snow. According to several news sources, groceries have been delayed because of last week’s storm. Their absence was beginning to show on the shelves of Wal-Mart today. Bread was almost out as of 10:00 AM this morning, and cereals were also beginning to run out. It strikes me how delicate our infrastructure really is. In today’s economy, just-in-time delivery on everything from bread to baby wipes is the most profitable method of operation, but it is also the most dangerous option when you’re planning for natural disasters. Local and regional planners understand this, and that’s why they’re seeking to educate the public to develop a 72 hour supply stock for their homes. While this is better than nothing, I have to wonder if it is enough. Whether people really do supply themselves that well is unknown, and some folks refuse to do so or they’re unable to do so. Additionally, it’s debatable whether 72 hours worth of supplies is sufficient in light of an ENSO (El Nino) year. Back-to-back blizzards will get anyone thinking about their supply chain and whether society as a whole could cope with a regional or national disaster.
These are things I worry about, not that it really does any good. As a father, even a disabled one, it’s my job to look to my family’s overall welfare. My primary responsibility is to protect them from dangers, seen and unseen. Even though I worry, I’m not in a position to help society plan out it’s response to a crisis. Still, I am in a position to plan my family’s response to a crisis. A blizzard qualifies as a danger to my family. I am in my element when I plan out what we have to do or may need to do. Sure, it’s stressful, but I believe it’s part of the male mental framework to be able to function in a crisis. While women are typically better relational thinkers, guys tend to be better compartmental thinkers. They can isolate their emotions and make choices despite the emotional turmoil they may be facing. That said, guys also have trouble allowing themselves to process through emotions brought on by trauma and stressful situations after the fact. This is pop psychology, but it bears out in my own experience and with other guys I’ve known. Also, it makes sense in light of the rising cases of PTSD for veterans returning from Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom.
Guys are good in a crisis. That’s how God made us. They thrill to adventure. They crave a battle to fight and a beauty fight for. Men have wasted in suburbia under the droning 8 to 5 schedule, providing and caring for their family, but not having any overt and imminent dangers to defeat or battles to fight. The real threats for families today are more subversive and insidious. Fathers need to be asking themselves questions like:
- How prepared are we for a disaster?
- Do my kids know who and when to call in a crisis?
- Does my family know what to do if there’s a fire, flood or violent storm?
- What can I do to make our neighborhood, region or nation safer and better for my children?
- Is my family keeping a Biblical worldview and living by it?
The snow keeps falling. I think I may need to fire up the snowblower before it gets so bad I need to tunnel. I’ll write more later maybe. God bless you and keep warm.
PS: The most funny statement I heard at Wal-Mart today was when a clerk informed the other clerks of management's decision saying, "They're not letting any [clerks] leave until the roads are closed."
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