September 2nd, 2022
5minute read
When you think of a disaster, what comes to mind?
For what are you preparing?
A real disaster, however, doesnt have to be on a massive scale.
It does no one any good to call it anything besides what it was: a failure.
My husband Eric and I were driving back to Montana from a holiday visit to Wisconsin.
Nothing was going to go wrong, and even if it did, we were ready.
That was the first item in our chain of events.
That was the second item in the chain.
We finally got enough additive in the tank to fix the problem or so we thought.
It was New Years Day, however the gas station was closed.
That half-hour he promised turned into almost two hours in -35 wind chill.
A simple, cheap thing suddenly was the most priceless item ever.
Eric eventually had to call for help.
Time to suck up the pride.
Montana folks, thankfully, are amazing.
I wrapped up in more blankets and guzzled hot coffee, trying to warm myself from the inside.
We managed to get home late that night, but I also ended up in the ER.
I managed to keep all ten of them but have permanently decreased sensation.
It took two weeks for them to stop hurting.
Any future exposure and I would lose several of my toes at best.
Now, even walking barefoot on a cold floor causes issues.
Lessons Learned
It doesnt matter how prepared you are if youre complacent.
Recognize when that pattern is occurring and know your limits.
In the moment, however, tunnel vision can creep in, making your decisions less than brilliant.
One thing is for sure: we learned the lessons that day taught us.
Hopefully, you’re free to learn from our mistakes too.
Oh, and go buy some handwarmers.
