When it comes to people, we should never keep permanent record of wrong doings. But, we should keep a permanent record of all the things we love about them and the good things they have done and the good that they are. But, that's not the purpose of this blog post right now.
As Hurricane Sandy is approaching, and we have no idea as to whether she will hit our home or not, we are preparing as though she will. I am quickly making lists in my head of what to bring--learning from Hurricane Irene what this means. But, another nice thing about Hurricane Irene, and mandatory evacuation, it taught me to prepare as much the day after so that I would be prepared for another hurricane. I have taken concrete steps to be prepared. Let me tell you the stress that has alleviated in my mind.
I have just downloaded all my 4700 photos from vacation from my cell to my computer and from there to the cloud. I'll get my husband to do the same. And, this reminded me of something and made me aware of something.
While thinking of going through another hurricane is stressful... I am grateful for having been through the first one (Irene). This third generation Colorado native never had to even think of hurricanes living near the Rockies. But, having said all of that, I feel a peace. Why? My affairs are in order. My priorities are straight. I know to prepare for the worst--and pray the best happens. But, most importantly, I have kept permanent records.
Let's be realistic. I can lose all of my possessions. I can always buy and accumulate more. But, the memories are what are priceless and need to be guarded with fierce veracity. This includes photos, journals, writings, calendars, scrapbooks, etc. Hence, to have permanent records of these things are critical.
WHAT DO I MEAN BY PERMANENT RECORD?
I mean having everything saved on the cloud over the internet -where you could lose your computers, cell, tablets, house, etc., but you can access these records from anywhere in the world at any time, provided you have access to an internet capable device and the internet.
What should you keep on permanent record? The answer is simple: EVERYTHING.
Examples: Journals, digital scrapbooks, photos, writings, letters, digital scans of important paperwork, etc.
A LESSON FOR US
You never know when a hurricane or tornado might come your way. Or what about a fire or a natural gas explosion? Or, what about being burglarized?
I know we hate to think like this. I know we would rather live in a world of denial. But, as our house is in flames, or flooded, denial will not change the fact that it is happening or has happened. It's critical to be prepared for the worst today.
So... Think about this. Are you prepared? Do you have everything saved to a computer that you can have saved?
(Image Credit: Microsoft Images Online.)
Stacy Duplease
Thriller Historical Fiction Writer
The Chronicler and Roanoke: The Family Treez of the USA Series, Book #1
dba Remembering Your Present, LLC & Family Treez USA
