What I Learned from Watching TV

Holy cow. Sometimes people in TV shows are soooo frustrating. I mean, seriously, people, think a little bit. I was watching The Walking Dead and some emergency preparedness lessons really hit home.

So in the show, a horde of zombies descends on the group and overruns their home. The group is driven out, and everyone is separated; most are in groups of two or three, but several people are on their own. It was frustrating and nerve wracking to watch. I kept yelling, “You should’ve had an emergency plan! Where are your emergency kits? Did you designate a rendezvous point?” (I know it’s fiction, but I like to get into it.) Fiction or not, everyone can benefit from having a plan, having an emergency kit, and designating a meeting point. For me, that’s the lesson the WD episode drove home. When you’ve experienced the comfort of group support and camaraderie, the last thing you want to do is go solo. Groups of like-minded individuals can work together to provide food and protection for each other. Not to mention easing the work load and keeping up morale. So the lesson I learned? Before an emergency or natural disaster, pick a safe spot where your family and other members of your preparedness team can meet. It’s important to practice and to plan for various scenarios, so in addition to picking the spot, actually go there. Try getting to your meeting point from different parts of town like your home, workplace, church, or your children’s school. Try getting there in different ways; drive once, then bike or walk the route. If you really want to test yourself, see how long it takes you to grab your emergency kit and get to the meeting point. You might even consider picking two meeting points – one that’s close to home in case the emergency is confined to your house or block, and one that’s a little further away in the case of a larger disaster. If only The Walking Dead had a seasoned prepper in it. The show would be soooo much cooler. Or at least less frustrating! Helpful tips and know-it-all attitude aside, what about you? Do you watch The Walking Dead or is that too out there for you? More importantly, do you have a designated meeting point?