I have noticed in the last week or so a sudden interest in amount content, and extent of preperations we've made by the very people who formerly shunned all talk about y2k. Is this just us or are some of you getting the same? I've chosen to down play our preps simply because there is little we can do for the all the other's who chose not to prepare. We barely were able to get the basics of what we need for our own family due to some major emergency surgeries that finacially strapped us for all of the year as well as some rather bazzar happenings that also were just as catastophic to our pocket book. Even still we have done all we could inspite of it all without anybody wondering or even asking how we were making it in just the basics of living. Now the questions seem intrusive and the jokes of showing up to our humble little old house are not so funny coming from people who have bought a new larger home, cars, furniture, electronic toys, and a ton of other high dollar useless garbage the boob tube tells use we will find our happiness in. The sudden interest in their eyes and tone of voice is something we never thought we'd see coming from such finacially set people. Maybe with all the things that went wrong in our lives this year it brought home to us in a more real way that things can go wrong and on a larger scale. We sure hope and pray we are wrong in what we think is ahead of us in this country. God Bless you for all the help you all have given us this year. All we've learned has been put to good use. As I write this my dear husband is busy building the shed for the generator, of course with your help.

-- sue bray (provgold31@aol.com), December 27, 1999

Answers

Yes, but only a little interest. Of about 6 people at work I've been forwarding a considerable amount of info to (via email - close co-workers) one noted last week that he'd purchased a kerosene camp stove plus some water. I don't believe any other response from the others. I also have chosen to downplay the majority of our preps, for the same reason - it's a choice (and we can't prep for everyone.)

-- Ford Prefect (bring@your.towel), December 27, 1999.

If you've suffered some financial reverses, just whine a little about how much those events have limited what you could do - couldn't do what you'd originally hoped to, etc., etc., etc.

A little whining goes a long way.

Good luck!

-- peg (peg@futureandahope.com), December 27, 1999.

I have had the little old lady across the street ask me to take her to the grocery store this week so she can be ready for y2k... :-0

I had a relative who I have been begging for 6 months to do SOMETHING to prepare joke that they would just come to our house. I told her very sternly that "no, they wouldn't". I think it surprised her. We have barely been able to put enough back for our family of three. If they come, there will be 6 of them added to drain our resources!! I am sorry, but they have had just as much time as everyone else. I am all for helping people, but I believe that they should try to help themselves a little first. We will be physically unable to feed everyone, and I am not willing to let my child starve because our lazy relatives have scarfed down our preps.

-- Pattie (y2kmama@aol.com), December 28, 1999.

I AGREE! We aren't as prepared as I had thought all through 1999, really we didn't really get BOOKING til last week. We had been storing canned goods for about 6 months when they are on sale. We have a freezer full of goodies I have been making (cookies, etc) that we could eat in the beginning. My Mom thinks I am crazy (DH does too but he supports me). My Mom said if things get bad and they run out of food they'll just come over here. She comes over to visit and jokingly says, "Your food or your life". I don't think it is very funny though. I told her she better stock up cause I am not sharing, I have four little ones to care for. They have WAY more money than we do and could have stocked up if they wanted to. Hey you snooze you lose. I'd help a starving person but suggest a shelter or something first. I have to watch out for my own ya know? It is funny though, my friends and family are all of a sudden listening to me and the newspaper articles and saying OH they are really expecting something to happen? And ruuning to the stores (many of which are running out of canned and water).

Melissa

-- Melissa (welovekids2@efortress.com), December 28, 1999.

As I mentioned in another thread, an old man watching us roll our shopping cart out of the grocery store last week asked if we were buying a lot of stuff so if things went down we'd have some ahead. That never happened before.

-- Pearlie Sweetcake (storestuff@home.now), December 28, 1999.

yeah, we're getting "interest" in our preps too.

I don't initiate any conversations about this and try my best to truncate ones that start.

although my wife's best friend was complaining because her husband wouldn't let her even buy any extra T.P, so come XMAS, we got her a nice big 30 pack of TP and her husband got a pair of dried corncobs.

-- plonk! (realaddress@hotmail.com), December 28, 1999.

I quit talking about it a year ago. Back then, one of my co-workers said " gee, I don't have to stock up, I'll just come to your house" That was the end of my "spreading the word". Fortunately, I just found out that the speeches to my mother paid off. She and my brother have prepped. I figure I've done my part.

-- (rcarver@inacom.com), December 28, 1999.

Peg- I love your approach. You might also carry it a step further and ask them for help...

-- Mad Monk (madmonk@hawaiian.net), December 28, 1999.

I just think you guys are the greatest, and boy this sure helps me to read your thoughts on so many things. Nice to know I'm not alone!

-- sue bray (provgold31@aol.com), December 28, 1999.