Blame Somebody Else Day

Tomorrow, April 13th, is National Blame Somebody Else Day. This is true, the Internet says so and everything on the Internet is true, right? Regardless, I think this is a "holiday" that too many people observe following a disaster. It's quick and easy to blame the government for not wrapping you in bubble wrap and rainbows and not protecting you from something you probably could have protected yourself from. It's easy to blame city planners, law enforcement, fire fighters, God, Zeus, global warming, hip-hop music, Mother Nature, Republicans, Democrats, Tea Partiers or Neptune for the the fallout of a natural disaster.

Just like any good mother, when hearing a rationale such as this, I'm tempted to scream, "I don't care whose fault it is, now you're BOTH in trouble!" Might as well take responsibility for yourself and your family and start learning more about disaster preparedness. I'm not saying you need a fallout shelter, a 10-year supply of food and a bunker full of ammunition. Although, that's cool too. No, I'm just suggesting that you find out more about what to do in an earthquake, what to do if there's a long-term power outage, how to create a sweet 72-hour kit for yourself, what kind of hazards should you be concerned about, and so on. Luckily for you, all this info is just a click away.

Now, if I'm preaching to the choir here, you might want to take a minute to ask your friends and family about their preparedness level and maybe give them some tips. You don't have to do it in a creepy, "Sit down Aunt Bea, we need to talk," intervention-style way. Just bring up some recent events, "Hey, that stuff in Japan was crazy right? What kind of emergency supplies and plans do you have?" See, easy!