I am hoping to distribute this to my rural neighborhood (in conjunction with fire department and school):
Can you handle a YOYO?
Nah, not the doohickey on a string. YOYO stands for “You’re On Your Own.” Public health authorities are concerned that this might be a bad flu season. Whether it’s pandemic flu, earthquake or a bad winter storm, there are times when services and supplies are disrupted. Let’s see how ready you are to handle a YOYO event. Test yourself:
___ I have two weeks supplies of food and water. (TWO WEEKS?? Yeah. Sobering, isn’t it? Think about it though. Katrina victims had a horrible storm and then there were major obstacles to getting supplies delivered. If we did have a flu pandemic, wouldn’t you rather be home with your soup cans than in line behind someone sneezing?)
___ I have the medicines I’ll need (prescriptions, ibuprofen, first aid kit).
___ I have a way to keep warm if the power is out. (Wood stove and firewood or at least a sleeping bag and warm cap).
___I have a flashlight, extra batteries and a camp stove and fuel. I also have matches and a manual can opener.
___ I have specific supplies for my household, such as pet food and a pet carrier for Barkey the dog and Hairball the cat.
FOR ADULTS ONLY. (If you’re under 21, close your eyes when you read this):
___ I won’t be on the roads to fetch booze, tobacco, chocolate or birth control because I’ve got that figured out. I’ll plan so I don’t add a “cold turkey” experience to an emergency.
Yes I passed this test,,,but it was a simple one. Now how would anyone do in a pandemic that lasts months and months, and severly affects grocery deliverys, banking transactions, possibility of affected electrical service. Again this would be months and months of this and oh yea,,,,don’t forget all the sick and dieing across your neighborhood. Not a pretty picture for sure.
Will they know whom it came from? I ask because if they do know it came from you and it does get bad and they don’t prep you just put yourself and family in possible harms way.
I like this. It’s clever and thought provoking. Care if I use this? It’s disarming and not a head on challenge to someone who really hasn’t thought things through….a first exposure type of thing that would get someone to think. Good job, Olymom!
I posted this with the HOPE that others will use it! By all means! I am hoping to get the support of the neighborhood fire station and local grocery store — if you sign a pledge at the bottom (I’ll prep! detachable coupon) you can stuff it in a box for a “prize” (not sure what, but I’m good to donate a gift certificate for $20 of grocercies) — I’m hoping to get it put on every counter/newspaper box/doorstep in my community. It will say something like “brought to you by your local Firefighters” on the bottom.
Gary, you are right — but I’d say 95% of my rural community knows nothing at all about H5N1. Like so many fluwikians, it’s getting the mind around getting started that is tough.
To me, humor is key. If you can make someone smile, they might just lean over the cubicle wall and say “read this!” —
“HAIRBALL”?!? That is TOO unkind. All my “hairballs” are not amused. They would prefer “Demigod”. :)
P.S. Really a super idea, but you might want to say “at least two weeks”…just a thought.
Dogs think that we are their gods. Cats know that they are our gods.
Jest sayin ;-)
One of the prizes should be a good old fashion Duncan Yoyo.
BUMP — hopefully a few more viewers will borrow/improve and circulate. No apologies for being a dog fan.
Maybe one of the last questions could be about reading a brochure/book/website such as… I don’t know… maybe fluwikie? Or reallyready.org or fighttheflu.org or seattle’s or ? Another question might also be about special needs stuff, diapers/depends, diabetic supplies/food, etc.
Olymom - I think it is a great idea. I love the gentle humor and agree that the humor will cause more people to read it all the way through. Well done. Each of us will probably adapt it somewhat to fit our own priorities, but your post has planted the seed. Thanks.
I have received good support from the one church on the peninsula and also from the one neighborhood association. I contacted the newspaper carrier by mail and haven’t heard back from him yet — if he can’t or won’t put our YOYO flyer into newspaper tubes, then I’ll start talking to walkers and see if they will distribute the flyers as they walk the dog. I also hope to get Boy Scouts at the local Christmas tree lot to distribute flyers when they sell trees.
(hm, now if I can work in something about; if it’s good enough for US Embassy staff, our community’s kids deserve at least as much preparation…)
Check off boxes for
I know how to disinfect water,
have battery-operated carbon monoxide and smoke detectors,
have and understand how to use different types of fire extinguishers
I got the memos from Leavitt re; no vaccines…
(oh, I’m no fun! again…)
I know the current H5N1 case fatality rate and age demographics… (“You have two hours, you can use the internet”)
(I know - What if I put the answers on the back…?)
;-)
Boy Scouts would be a great idea… Boy Scout Motto = Be Prepared.