Just a brief note on the meeting of board members in Texas Saturday. I had a great time meeting people and putting faces to names. There were so many real stories about real people and real issues it left me with a true sense of larger community. We all showed our little goodies, books, water purifiers, etc. and then near the end Greybear brought out a SU bag (remember the tiny bug out bag that one could carry under your shirt? -- look in the archives). He demonstrated the many tiny items with big survival value; we oohed and aahed and laughed and then Mrs. Greybear brought out a very large bag filled with SU bags for everyone. Made us all feel enormously loved.

My daughter who reads the posts from the board that I print out for her came with me to the meeting; she was deeply impressed with the sense of community and told me later she feels saner for having shared a few hours with other people who think it's important to prepare.

My thanks to each and everyone of you for a truly enjoyable evening,

-- Shelia (Shelia@active-stream.com), May 23, 1999

Answers

Hi Shelia,

I'm interested in those "SU Bags", but I couldn't find them in the archives. Could you describe it to us?

Thanks!

Jolly carries so much stuff, he feels like a cop!

-- Jollyprez (jolly@prez.com), May 23, 1999.

Shelia, your daughter hit the proverbial nail when she said: ". . . she feels saner for having shared a few hours with other people who think it's important to prepare."

Please, everyone, if there's a "board" (!) meeting anywhere near where you live, do your best to attend. It's not just feeling saner, although that's the major benefit, it's also a chance to meet some really nice people.

Puddintame, Critt, maybe we should talk about another meeting in the next few weeks, just to top up the tank? This time maybe Sweetie won't have a meeting and he can go too.

-- Old Git (anon@spamproblems.com), May 23, 1999.

How many people attended the meeting? Wishin I could have gone...but my pollyana husband wouldn't have fit in. He's in charge of Y2K at his work and thinks everyone will be finished in time. I think he's in denial about a lot of things...but...I keep working on him.

-- lurker13 (lurker13@lurkernot.now), May 23, 1999.

Sorry I couldn't make it, but I'd sure like to hear from those that did.

-- Nikoli Krushev (doomsday@y2000.com), May 23, 1999.

Jolly -- Greybear calls them the SUE -- here's the old link

http://www.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id=000em8

They were impressive, compact, and more functional than I ever would have believed.

-- Shelia (Shelia@active-stream.com), May 24, 1999.

Nikki, We all missed you. Really wanted to get your input. My hat is off to Greybear and mamabear. It has been a long time since I felt so much compassion, and real hospitality. Everyone there brought good ideas and insperation, but the bears were definitely the highlight. Looking forward to the next time we can all get together. To all who couldn't make it---Next time, be there!! No matter what. You'll thank yourself for it.

-- Paladin (HaveGun@Will.Travel), May 24, 1999.

We thank y'all for your nice comments. Da nada.

The kits were a small thing. I will take one last opportunity to stand on that platform and preach a brief sermon.

We have to learn, relearn, remember, recall, continue...which ever word you like... helping each other. The everyday things that plain everyday humans do for each other is the fabric that will, if anything can, hold our culture together in hard times.

We've had the greatest thing on the face of the earth here in America in the last 200 years. It may take *everything* that *all* of us can do in the future to hold it together. The small things that we can do for each other are the foundation and start of cementing relationships and rebuilding the kind of human communities that built the greatest society in the history of the world. (And yes, I'm as familar with it's many faults as most of you.)

You GOTTA give more than you get. That's the formula this writer thinks is completely our of ballance now. We've become a get-more-than-you-give culture and that must change or we fall.

It doesn't have to be big, it doesn't even necessarily have to cost any money. Sometimes just a kind word is what's needed.

I will do a kindness NOW and end the sermon.

-Greybear

-- Got Kindness? (give some away)

-- Greybear (greybear@home.com), May 24, 1999.