Gang: This post is just the latest in my series primarily for the newbies. Feel free to put in your two cents.

There remain so many questions that are still unanswered and will remain so. Certainly, we want to know as much as we can regarding Y2K, including that which we won't be able to know until events play out. It occurs to me though that regardless of this, we do know that we need to prepare to our maximum possible extent, for as many potential problems as we reasonably can. The goal here is working towards being as self-sufficient as possible.

There is a difference between need and want. I am suggesting that while we may want to know and understand many more things about Y2K and its impact, we need to know two basic things: That we should prepare to the maximum extent possible, and that we keep current on what is happening. Preparation is based on our abilities to prepare as well as our expectations of what the potential problems are. The reason I feel that keeping current is also a "need to", as opposed to a "want to", is so we can revise our expectations and possibly even our preparation priorities as we learn more. This froum is one of many great resources to help you keep up with Y2K, and learn specifics for how to prepare and what to prepare for.

I post this because it is so easy to burn out on Y2K. Remember that there is this difference between need and want, and most Y2K aware folks are fortunate since they are taking care of "need to's". To me this is of some comfort. No matter how frustrated we may sometimes get over what we want to understand, what we need to understand, as described above, we already do. Is this an oversimplification? Yes, it is. My intent here is to just point out the difference between what it is we need, and what it is we want, in the hopes that some will read this and take heart because they are taking care of what needs to be done, to whatever extent they can.

Sometimes we forget this and drive ourselves crazy. Need versus want: Prepare to the max that you can and stay tuned. That is what we need to know, that is what we need to do.

-- Rob Michaels (sonofdust@com.net), March 26, 1999

Answers

Rob: You make a very good point here because there is a big difference on what we want and what we really need to prepare. I would like to have a generator, solar panels, a windmill, etc. But do I need them? I could readily afford to purchase these items but I have choosen not to for several reasons, and the biggest reason is I don't want to draw attention to my house. A generator is noisey, solar panels will be stolen, and a windmill would stick out like a sore thumb. Some may need a generator because of medical reasons, or to pump a well. But on top of a generator it will take maintenance and fuel to keep it going. What happens when the fuel runs out or the generator quits running and you have no spare parts? All newbies need to understand that time is running out, preparing is an expensive and time consuming endeavor. Depending on your location, I believe it is too late for many to prepare the way many of us have. We have had the luxury of time and money on our side for preparation. I have prepared for the basic needs of my family. I have spent months storing food, hitting garage sales and thrift stores for clothing and other items that will come in handy if and when I need them. So I am prepared to the max, but not with the luxury of living high on the hog. One more thing, newbies will be cramming 1-1/2 years of my preparation into 8 months, I feel sorry for them because they will be hitting bumps in the road. Some will have the stamina to do it and some won't. I'm sorry I can't be more encouraging but that's how I see it at this point in time. Think water, and lots of it.

-- bardou (bardou@baloney.com), March 26, 1999.

Dittos (sorry to non Dhs) to bardou. My well went out this weekend, it was a wire that rubbed against casing and shorted out. Two lessons:

1. You need a lot more water than you would imagine, even if you skip baths.

2. If you have a generator, good ---- but don't bet your life on it. Other things can go wrong even if you have fuel (wires as above, pump burnout from surge in generator or it just was pumps time, so forth). Water is so imp. you need a secondary backup or plan.

Needs: Water/ heat-shelter/food. Thanks Rob.

-- Jon Johnson (narnia4@usa.net), March 26, 1999.

Thank you Rob for opening this message. As a "newbie" to y2k it can be overwhelming to search for information on the internet and now it seems other media are stepping up there reporting also. I intend to learn all I can till gardening time, and then let keeping current fall out of priority.

We come from a homesteading background, spent many years off the power grid, so our preparation isn't quite as dire as some, but we are investing so much time, money and thought into doing two years work in a few months (weeks?) that the stress is great. I cannot imagine the stress of preparations on folks without this background, or live in the city or without a water source.

This forum is so valuable to so many who never post, I am sure. I have posted and been "trolled" for being ignorant. I have seen postings of if you don't have anything "important" to say/ask/contribute, stay quiet. And I have also seen many of the "regulars" be very understanding and willing to explain to newbies.

We newbies are a tender bunch. We don't have time, we don't, in most cases, have enough money or resources or knowledge to get any where near ready. This produces a level of anxiety that can lead to some difficulty in putting preparation/learning/day-to-day existance in anything less than an unhealthy balance. I went through it and will admit to the world right now, I have been on Paxil for three months. But now I can better put things into perspective.

Jon, I must add a couple of things to your most important list: water/shelter-heat/food. Also, faith in your God and confidence in yourself. I won't paint a pretty picture here by saying that partial prepartation will be enough, it probably won't, but it will gain you the gift of time to make further plans based on real knowledge of exactly how bad things are/will be after the first of the year.

At the risk of being "flamed", as I understand it to be, I will add my advice to fellow newbies: 1) People preparing for y2k come in all levels of understanding, talents, and opinions, and this forum offers a good sample of this. Newbies, take it all initially with a grain of salt until you become familiar with a particular poster's opinions and gain more knowledge of the particular topic on your own. 2)Early on, spend some time in the archives of this site. There is alot of "basic" preparation knowledge there. (Could someone post the URL for this...my copy seems to be exceedingly long?) 3) Investigate other sites. Alot of very good information on the internet for homesteading, canning and other skills. These can be found in the archives, through search engines or post and ask for help locating them. and 4) Trust yourself, make YOUR plans. Find the information, ask the questions, weight the answers, consider what is best for you and your family. Then the confusion will subside somewhat on who is right or wrong because you are operating on YOUR best advice...not mine.

This may be the one challenge in your life that pales all others. I personally feel that it is for myself, but I am staying busy and not nearly as worried as I was. I don't think this has so much to do with being a certain percentage of ready, it is more based on action and determiniation. Make a plan and take it one day at a time. *Good luck!*

-- Lilly (somewhere@some.level), March 26, 1999.

Thanks once again Rob.

You always post just the right thing, at just the right time, when the need is so great.

You dood good Dude.

Ms. Lilly;

I don't think that you need to fear anyone on this forum for any reason. No one here can harm you, they can only irritate you if you allow them to. Dive in at anytime with your questions and someone will try to help you out.

To those who would "flame" a person for an innocent question, honestly asked, you can simply present the electronic version of the "Hawaiian good luck sign", or just ignore them as you choose.

Welcome to "Wunderland", isn't the view from this side of the mirror just a little more sane than "Out There"? Did you ever really wonder which view is the most true one? We'll know in about 280 days or so.

S.O.B.

-- sweetolebob (buffgun@hotmail.com), March 26, 1999.

Hi newbies! Please try to ignore the TROLLS. They will tell you we're all crazy and nothing will happen next year. The current crop includes Norm, Y2K Pro, Mutha and a few others. They seem to change about every month or so.

-- Ignore (the@trolls.here), March 26, 1999.

Thanks to all for putting in their two cents for the newbies.

Lilly: Your knowledge and skills, together with adaptability and flexibility, are of great importance under any circumstances, and especially so for many of the potential problems on the horizon. Thank you for your thoughtful post, don't be a stranger. I think you have a lot to give.

S.O.B. - I left an FRLian message for you, and thanks for the very kind words.

-- Rob Michaels (sonofdust@com.net), March 27, 1999.

To the top for the newbies.

-- (sonofdust@com.net), May 24, 1999.

Year 2000 Preparation Archive

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-- Brian (imager@home.com), May 24, 1999.

Outstanding recommendation for newbies and old hands, Rob.

-- Stan Faryna (info@giglobal.com), May 24, 1999.

To the top for the newbies!

-- Old Git (anon@spamproblems.com), June 06, 1999.

I feel compelled this morning to run this post to the top once again. I posted on this thread in March of 1999, and feel a follow-up is in order almost 3 months later. I don't feel like such a "newbie" anymore. :-)

It is amazing that in those three months, how much our family has accomplished and how much knowledge we have acquired. We actually began to "causually" prepare about mid-January, so have been working on preps for about 5 months total. There is no joking about the expense of getting prepared in such a short time, both financially and mentally.

Has it been worth it? Certainly. Are we done? No. Can we weather MOST of the predicted disruptions associated with y2k? Yes. Will ANY of our preps be wasted if y2k is a bump in the road? No. If we just learnt about y2k today, would we do it all again? Definitely.

Has our family's personal outlook for y2k became more optimistic in the past three months? A guarded yes, However I honestly don't know if we can attribute our improved outlook to reports of good news as more institutions become compliant, or whether being prepared makes one feel more optimistic. Perhaps it is a combination of the two.

This thread was created by Mr. Michaels for encouragement and direction for folks new to the realization of y2k. His advice and words are as pertinent today as when first posted. Need versus want.

Our family has made a great many sacrifices in the last few months to reach the level of preparedness that we feel comfortable with. None of it was in vain, and amazingly the time has flown by quickly (as time seems to do anyways as we get older).

This forum is a "virtual" storehouse of all of the information one needs to know to achieve preparation, the archieves are priceless. Finding the information you seek is not so easy, and very time consuming. Disregard the "clutter"...not the debates or good news posts, these are important...but the posts that sideline the issues and learning for the sake of arguement and distraction. It certainly is addicting (and in some cases entertaining) to read these posts, but time is short and so much to be done. I can think of no better closing advice than to restate what Mr. Micheals has said above:

"There is a difference between need and want. I am suggesting that while we may want to know and understand many more things about Y2K and its impact, we need to know two basic things: That we should prepare to the maximum extent possible, and that we keep current on what is happening"..."so we can revise our expectations and possibly even our preparation priorities as we learn more"

-- Lilly (homesteader145@yahoo.com), June 13, 1999.

Lilly: Thanks for coming back and telling us this. It is always a great feeling to stop by the Forum and see an old thread active again, especially with a post like yours. You have made my day, and please, call me Rob!

-- Rob Michaels (sonofdust@com.net), June 14, 1999.

topside again

-- (for@ll.newbees), June 24, 1999.