Incident: Having just moved down from the "Country of Bellingham", out in the wild sticks of Civilization, and into the Civilized "Big City of Seattle", I’ve experienced no less than 6 power outages and out of order phones. I was safer in Bellingham. Because of the 4-day power outage and all that it brings, I wondered why one prepares oneself, if in turn, just to loan to a neighbor without. I had a small portable, easy to use, gas stove, much like the ones used in Asian restaurants to cook at the table, and water kettle; the combination was just right for cooking during the outages. A neighbor without anything needed something and I loaned him my perfect setup; so the questions arises, "Why be prepared if you can’t use it."

Thoughts: If someone prepares for problems, anticipates or just happens to have something that will work very well during problems times, is it their right to hang on to it and take care of themselves? Of course the answer is Yup!, but as in my case I had another stove, heater actually, that could be used as a stove, but was a little more complicated to use. Had the neighbor been a little more at ease with camping equipment it would have been sufficient to use, but in this case, the neighbor wasn’t sure how to turn on the portable stove (just turn the dial on, like a normal gas stove) and the thought of loaning the more difficult one and blowing up their house made be offer the simple one. I was now of course without the easy, practical stove that was just perfect for the crises at hand. So, as it seems with the simple matters in life, I began to think of why I felt obligated at all to loan the simple stove. Since I had it, not necessarily anticipating this crisis, why shouldn’t I be able to use it as was intended. It was mine, was the most practical way of dealing with the situation and I certainly had no obligation to let someone else use it. But I did feel obligated and I did lend it (still not returned) and therefore ask, "Why did I buy it?" I wasn’t able to use it for the purpose intended, ended up loaning it to someone who didn’t anticipate (not that I did either) the crises and therefore didn’t get to use it. Should I only get one of each item to justify the right to use it in lieu of helping someone else? Or have 2 of each item, one for self and other for the hapless neighbor. Then, do we become the neighbor’s baby sitter? I guess it relates to the food storage thing that the Mormons use, and the problems that would be faced when food shortages appear. Do they give some away in the hopes that re-supply will happen next week? Next Month? Or soon?, or do they hang on to what they have, purposely planned and set aside just for such an emergency, and let the neighbors fend for themselves. Although starving people will tend to become a little more aggressive than normal it is a tough call. Just how far does one go to help the other. Is it just inconvenience, or catastrophe that determines what to do?….

Conclusion:

It’s like a fire extinguisher, you buy it for your own use, but use it for other as the case arises. So in essence I bought the darn thing to loan to others and get to use it in-between.