Nearly three months ago my husband and I went to our credit union to conduct some business. As he waited in the car, I went inside. Standing at the teller’s window I couldn’t help but notice the stifled but evident excitement around me. No. Sorry to say it wasn’t because of something great I was wearing or my new hairstyle. It was because another one of the employees was bringing in a bin of tiny kittens to bid one last goodbye before she took them to a “no-kill shelter.” Uh-Oh. I knew I was in trouble. I knew that I would end up taking one of these babies home. Having had two wonderful cats for over 14 years and lost them, I wasn’t inclined to try and replace them and their space in my heart. But this was certainly different. These were the tiniest kittens I had ever seen.
Apparently the mother cat had delivered her litter of kittens somewhere in the bushes next to the credit union. The employees kept watch over them and when the mother went away for more than a day, they even attempted to feed them. But one little black and white rascal wasn’t eating. I knew that if someone didn’t take her, who would be willing to hand-feed her every couple of hours, she wouldn’t make it
In the second season of one of my favorite television shows, “Jericho”, there was a perfect illustration of what can happen if reliable communication does not exist (I recommend you renting this two-season series or at least catching some of it on hulu.com). While communication is the last aspect of the Principles of Preparedness, this doesn’t mean it’s insignificant in any way. In fact, there’s a lot of danger, panic, relying on misinformation and chaos that can arise, all from the lack of communication. (more…)
