Have a plan.
Lots of people fail to do what is needed in unusual, potentially fatal situations, because they just didn't have a plan of action ready. Many times, given a cool head and a minute, they could have devised a workable plan in less time than it takes to consume a cup of coffee or a cigarette. But in the heat of the moment, none of us thinks our best (no, not even YOU, Mr. Armchair Warrior), and that's not a good time to think. It's the time to act on what you have already thought out.
Would it be better to perform a preventive drill before? Sure. But when you get right down to it, there's just too many "what if's" to be able to drill for them all. What if your neighbor goes nuts and drives his pickup into your family-mobile while you're en route for ice cream? Are you going to practice rolling out of your car and shooting over your hood while your family egresses from the off-side of the threat? Are you going to practice this in your neighborhood street? What if the threat is your neighborhood Cujo, attacking your neighbor? What if the threat involves... uh... lava? Yeah, molten lava?
Okay, that brings up another point-- there's a point where we have to just stop. We can't live in constant concern of the world and how to deal with it. There are things you're just not likely to need to deal with. In N. Texas, lava isn't a real concern. In Hawaii, I'd give it a thought.
Think about how you'll deal with a given situation. If nothing else, it makes your day more interesting. And believe it or not, if you win [?] the lottery and the unlikely occurs, you'll have what amounts to some experience in the situation. Because, in a way, a part of you has seen it before, and you know how to deal with it.*
My dad and his bride noticed a spike in reports of a new method of home invasions in his area. They discussed it, and have a plan formulated. Is it the BEST plan? Oh, I can think of some ways to improve it. But because they have a plan at all, I'll bet on them, if the balloon goes up.
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*Yes, I know that I've harped on this before. But advising people to "have a plan" is worth repeating, don'tcha think?
Labels: advice, crime, get ready, Other blogs, pragmatism
posted by Matt G @ 2:22 AM
6 Comments:
You know, I've had this inova X1 in my pocket for the last... two years, at least. It's cheap, it's indestructable, and it works if you fiddle with it enough. But it doesn't have a belt/pocket clip, and the "pressure switch" on the endcap is more than a little bit finicky: it takes a lot of messing with to get it to work.
The other day I was at my local knife shop, messing around with a Surefire E1-whatever. It had a pocket clip that made sense, and an endcap switch that worked all the time. But it took CR123s rather than AAs, and cost well north of $100.
I've been in places where I needed reliable light mike fox papa, and you just reminded me of another one. I'mna go buy that Surefire.
(Lest this strike anyone as a product pitch: I know at least two people who've been around much rougher blocks than I've ever seen who swear by the inova X1 -- that's why I bought mine. This is more a matter of me replacing a particular light that doesn't work well for me than any sort of endorsement. I'm going to keep my X1; it's an awesome little thing.)
Good points. I find myself going over escape /self defense scenarios all the time when I'm driving, in the home etc... I try to tell the kids what to do in an emergency but on a good day it's like herding cats. So I make sure they know how to obey me immediately and fast.
I'm one of those fortunate folks who can stay on task and think clearly when the shit hits the fan but it always helps to be prepared and have a plan.
Plans are a good thing- even if the scenario is different, because you have kick started the grey matter into thinking! Alert and thinking allows deviations and plan b-ZZ as required.
What kind of plan do you have about this damn swine flu?
If school is cancelled and the kids are sent home for all of May, there is going to be some squealing!
There seems to be a run on masks (that don't work) and hand sanitizer. Next, we will probably see a "Oh my God, a Hurricane has just entered the Gulf of Mexico!" level of run on food, water, and gas.
Don't forget duct tape and plastic, to seal up your house!
This crap is going to get real old real fast.
Word verification: boaricom
Yeppers on the plan.
As far as the light: there are dependable lights out there that cost less and take AAs. The only big issue is the pocket clip, which sounds like it's important to you...
I picked up a Fenix LD20 for under $70 shipped a couple months ago, and it's still painfully bright with its first pair of AAs. The belt sheath seems to be higher quality than most, too.
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