There will be no rescue, no intervention for us. We can only save ourselves. — Hotel Rwanda

In the end, you can only depend on yourself. No man is an island, but no man is never isolated. Learn to rely on yourself, on your skills and resources, and you will not only be better to yourself, but also be a better person to others.

Those are harsh words to throw at a man, especially when he’s walking out of your bedroom. — The Big Sleep

Having the last word is usually satisfying, but the last words of one conflict usually lead to the next.   I’ve damaged several friendships by insisting on arguing until I wore down someone else.  The momentary feeling of victory was quickly overshadowed by realization that I had said and done things that hurt someone I cared about.  Always remember what is important.  I doubt that it will usually be winning an argument due to endurance and snark.

Another one of them new worlds. No beer, no women, no pool parlors, nothin’. Nothin’ to do but throw rocks at tin cans, and we gotta bring our own tin cans. — Forbidden Planet

Boredom is a killer.  Boredom in a group of people under stress will quickly kill their relationship, which might mean the difference between getting through a problem relatively unscathed or not.

Like a lot of people nowadays, I’m doing what I can do to be prepared for emergencies.  I’ve gotten first aid training, we stock non-perishable food and water, and, of course, I keep a few firearms around.  We talk about what we would do if a tornado struck Louisville while I was at work and couldn’t get home.  We make sure there are ‘get home’ kits in all the vehicles.  We even have contingency plans for what we would do if a disaster hits and we are asked to house family and friends for a while.

One thing that Irish Woman has done, and this shows just how well I married, is to make sure we have a lot of things to keep us from going stir crazy in the event of a disaster.  She maintains an entire closet full of nothing but school and art supplies.  We have shelf upon shelf of books, with everything from Dr. Seuss to Tolkien.  She even stocks educational and reference materials so that learning won’t stop if the schools aren’t open.  She makes sure that every Christmas we get a few more board games, and that we have something for everyone.  In the event that we’re snowed in or lose power for a week or so, we will be fed, warm, safe, and entertained.

How is entertainment fitting into y’all’s prepping plans?

Yes, Mama. But he was my dog. I’ll do it. — Old Yeller

There are some tasks that you just can’t delegate. When you have a responsibility, you have to be willing to step up and take care of it, no matter how unpleasant it is. You owe it to yourself and to those who depend on you to do what needs doing, and if you duck out of the important things, you are less of a person than you ought to be.