WHAT WE'RE READY FOR. We seem to stay in an agitated "state of readiness" since the new century got started.
I don't recall any time in the recent past when were beset with
such a conditions of many of which continually distract us over which we don't seem to have any real control. We have busied ourselves in gathering as many such problems as seems possible, under the common label of "Terrorism" with the possible hope that we might see their mutual evils and falseness as being potentially harmful to our national existence.
We have been urged to make preparations for the defense of our homeland as a unit. It is difficult for many citizens to readily see what they view a silly, incidental, irksome things as being dangerous.
Continuing stress in many areas around the world demand that we
continue to make special preparations. Most the time, we are called upon to "be ready " just as a matter of routine and past training. Your need for
readiness may come upon you rather suddenly when not to be ready could be costly?
We so seldom enjoy the luxury of time in which to get ready. The injunction must, justifiably, be, then, to "be" or "stay" ready rather than to "get". We learned that much from the Boy Scouts, member or not. "Be Prepared" is a good slogan in whatever age group or social division one might find himself, or herself, to be.
It is possible, as every college kid can tell you, to "cram" - to make all sorts of last minute arrangements if you know what the emergency is going to be - such as an exam on a subject you have been lax in studying about recently.
How many of us are prepared for the surprises of our daily lives? Few, I dare say, in a strict sense. Most of us are content to "muddle though"..."get by"... or, "wing it". By and large, we do very well with this sort of conduct mainly because we are more prepared than we realize to met the common sameness and routine of our lives as a rule. Only when something comes up which is of an unusual nature do we realize that we are , at times, ill-prepared to cope with emergencies.
One prepares for tomorrow with every second of today, of course. It might not appear to be a set pattern but those things which help us get through situations of concern one day will help us on another every more so. We learn from doing. That is why it is so important that we give detailed attention to what is happening at the "right now" time of our lives, because it can determine, to some extent, what is going to take place tomorrow and tomorrow.
Maintaining good health is of prime importance, of course, for all of us. If you don't feel well; you won't do well. Proper rest and genuine sleep are essential in being prepared . We must learn to eat well and sensibly, too; drink moderately, or not at all, exercise within reason without taxing our fibers and functions unduly.
Misguided and selfish preparations can be costly in many ways. Witness the "Y2K" panic we "survived". The strange madness which came upon normally "average" people during those pre-Century months has been hushed up now and we don't hear about what such people did with their massive stores of canned foods, gasoline, batteries, - you name it - which they piled up in preparation for something which didn't materialize. The same things happens on a smaller scale with many every day who plan from for things which are most unlikely to become a part of their actual experience.
This is no time to Get Ready. We must Stay Ready.
A.L.M.... May 10, 2005 [c637wds]
