Sld1959
Ronin
What were those days when the proverbial lightbulb went off for you, for whatever it may be.
A few come to mind for me. The first is quite a number of years ago, 1977, when I was sitting down by the river eating my lunch after getting out of high school early my senior year. suddenly I heard a voice ask for a smoke, a voice from a person who was way too close. That startled me, and my initial thoughts were, dang, he could have had me if he had ill intentions, I learned that day about situational awareness.
Another was the day of the Great Eastern Blackout, when I was at home and poof, no lights, no warning, no storm, nothing, simply no lights. That day and the days following taught me I was not nearly as prepared as I thought, I needed to pay closer attention to details. Little things like a headlamp, to do menial chores, or even for entertainment like reading in the dark, were crucial because store would not always be open to buy them when you needed them. A good supply of spare batteries for all lights are crucial for the same reasons. Keeping the vehicles fueled could make the difference between being mobile or on foot when the pumps do not work for an extended time.
I learned the value of carrying a personal light the day I was alone at work, way in back with no windows and up on a lift stringing computer lines, as the DP Manager I had given the guys Saturday off. Someone hit a power pole, and poof no lights. I had to work my way out of a maze of equipment in pitch black, and just stopped short, and I do mean JUST, of falling into a truck bay, when I stopped to light a match to get my bearings.
I learned not to truly trust the vast majority of people, just a small group of very close people when an uncle was murdered in his parts store in Detroit. He had owned the store for 20 years and the neighborhood had gotten bad and everyone asked him to sell out, but he always said. The people down here will never hurt me, i help them and they know it.... This one also showed me that personal protection was very important, and as soon as Michigan instituted CPL laws I was one of the first in line.
A few come to mind for me. The first is quite a number of years ago, 1977, when I was sitting down by the river eating my lunch after getting out of high school early my senior year. suddenly I heard a voice ask for a smoke, a voice from a person who was way too close. That startled me, and my initial thoughts were, dang, he could have had me if he had ill intentions, I learned that day about situational awareness.
Another was the day of the Great Eastern Blackout, when I was at home and poof, no lights, no warning, no storm, nothing, simply no lights. That day and the days following taught me I was not nearly as prepared as I thought, I needed to pay closer attention to details. Little things like a headlamp, to do menial chores, or even for entertainment like reading in the dark, were crucial because store would not always be open to buy them when you needed them. A good supply of spare batteries for all lights are crucial for the same reasons. Keeping the vehicles fueled could make the difference between being mobile or on foot when the pumps do not work for an extended time.
I learned the value of carrying a personal light the day I was alone at work, way in back with no windows and up on a lift stringing computer lines, as the DP Manager I had given the guys Saturday off. Someone hit a power pole, and poof no lights. I had to work my way out of a maze of equipment in pitch black, and just stopped short, and I do mean JUST, of falling into a truck bay, when I stopped to light a match to get my bearings.
I learned not to truly trust the vast majority of people, just a small group of very close people when an uncle was murdered in his parts store in Detroit. He had owned the store for 20 years and the neighborhood had gotten bad and everyone asked him to sell out, but he always said. The people down here will never hurt me, i help them and they know it.... This one also showed me that personal protection was very important, and as soon as Michigan instituted CPL laws I was one of the first in line.
