Apocalyptic Calamity? 

     Your blogger remembers the new Cold War in the 1950s, when the threat of Russian atomic bombing had Americans conducting drills and building shelters. Some of us teens went to the USO to call in any airplanes flying over our small town. Ho hum. There weren't many. I do recall being somewhat afraid.  

     In the early 1960's JFK called for public fallout shelters. Interest in survival skills and such grew to a multibillion-dollar industry.

     Today, Cold War heritage, some 23 million U.S. adults are stockpiling and working on survival skills. Billions are spent annually on portable generators, gas masks and windup radios. Some preppers are motivated by common sense. Others have apocalyptic fear. Then there are those of us who question the desire to preserve life here when something much better awaits.

     The terrorist attacks of 9/11 prompted new safety measures. By 2010, half of all Americans had preparedness on the brain. Prepping isn't cheap. Americans spent some $11 billion to be prepared in 2022. Today it is as much personal choice as it is emergency prep. Conservatives feel strongly about gun ownership. 

     Preparedness is wise. We were educated a few years ago when there was a rush on toilet paper...trucker strike, I think. You never know. And we don't trust the mainstream media's every word.

         Jimmy