I’d say this is some major deja vu.
Except last time, I was nine months pregnant and trying to figure out where I’d be having my baby if the road closures blocked the route to my birth center.
But the fact is we’re smack dab in the middle of fire season and here we are, exactly one year later almost to the day, and the Southern California area is ablaze once again.
You may have heard of the Camp Pendleton fire–right in our backyard.
Okay, well not literally in OUR backyard, but in the literal backyard of several friends only a few miles away.
Last night our church became a mini Evacuation Central as each evacuation zone was announced and church family needed somewhere to go. We’ve been on stand-by in case our house is needed as a camp out spot. And even though we’re in a central location a good distance from the fire, the smoke knows no bounds and is slithering in through any crevice it can find.
Once we were sure our friends were all safely out of the immediate danger zone and had watched the late local news, John and I started heading up the stairs hoping to get some sleep. As we walked through the house locking doors and shutting off lights, we started talking about what we’d grab if we were to receive that reverse 911 call.
Besides, you know, our kids.
I think they’d be first priority. Slightly.
But if we had, say, a half an hour to load a few things in the truck, what would we turn to first?
We have most of our pictures on CDs in a fireproof lock-box, along with all of our important paperwork. But beyond that… what is most important? Can’t be replaced?
I might grab my wedding dress in its preservation box. I’d probably reach for my most beloved Bible–the one with the special underlinings and notes I’d hate to lose–and definitely my journals.
Or wait. Maybe I’d let myself just happen to forget those three journals I filled in one year when I was 16. I think THOSE are a few memories I’d be okay losing.
We have special scrapbooks, the boys’ first year calendars and special blankies. The journal I kept for “my future husband” before I knew his name would be John. John’s grandpa’s old pocket Bible with notes in his own handwriting filling the inside front and back covers. And then there’s the stuff that would be harder to load up–the boxes of keepsakes in the garage.
We weren’t sure. Beyond the four of us–what would we be the most saddened to lose?
So tell me… if you were evacuated and had a thirty minutes to gather a few things and be gone, what would you reach for first?
Or maybe you’d be like John and say, “You know, we’d probably need to get the kids’ DVD case. Because that thing and the truck’s DVD player could be what really saves our lives.”
Priorities, people. I’m telling ya.
Brittney says:
I’d grab my cell phone so that next time my husband has access to a telephone I’d be able to tell him that I’m homeless.
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October 14th, 2008 at 3:18 pm
Chantel says:
I’ve been there a few times, and I don’t think I’ve gotten any better at figuring it out. :P
I think it’d be my computer, bible, and my box of letters. About 50 other things I’d hate to loose, but those probably carry most of the information I couldn’t replace every again.
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October 14th, 2008 at 4:06 pm
Nicole says:
Glad to hear you guys are ok! Bet the smoke is terrible . . . yuck.
As for what we’d take, I’m actually in the process right now of filling a plastic laundry basket with “emergency” stuff: travel toiletries, blankets, canned food, an extra bible, etc. The basket lives in our closet, along with our box of important documents, etc. So we’d probably grab those, some clothes, and (I hope), my scrapbooks. Oh, and the lap top. There’s no way Jay would leave without that. ;)
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October 14th, 2008 at 6:41 pm
Anna says:
Oddly enough I was thinking about this very question a few days ago, only I gave myself five minutes instead of thirty. With thirty, I’d first grab important documents, one of our Bibles, a few of our wedding pictures, my husband’s laptop with our pictures, a gaming system he received as a present because we weren’t able to afford it, and a stand mixer my mother gave me as a wedding present.
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October 14th, 2008 at 6:46 pm
Danielle says:
Well,honestly if my family ever had to do that in 30 minutes we would be SCRAMBELING to get our zoo of horses in the trailer.Wow that’s a thought.ha!I’d be crying my eyes out trying to get my cute,pokey,old pony to move.Now,if that isn’t a funny picture what is?You know how s l o w my Banner is.hope you guys are o.k.
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October 14th, 2008 at 7:30 pm
Sara says:
Oona Kelley (my Cabbage Patch Doll) and my Bible
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October 15th, 2008 at 12:42 am
Rebekah says:
I actually had to think about this when Hurricane Hanna was headed this way. (Definitely not my idea of fun).
I figured if it came down to an evacuation, I’d grab the kids, Penny, the emergency bucket, my laptop, the desktop CPU, the folder of important papers, and then probably pictures and whatever else I could get to fit.
Thankfully, we never had to evacuate :-)
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October 15th, 2008 at 8:29 am
Steve n Vickie says:
Hmm. We were talking about this topic, and all those people who insist on staying in their houses when a hurricane is on the way. It blows my mind why people would insist on staying.
As far as what to bring, I think the basics have been covered in the previous comments. The kids of course, the lock box with all those important papers, pictures, the computer, some food, and some clothes.
Most everything else is replaceable. I would be sad to leave all my books behind, but I don’t think they would fit :)
Vickie
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October 15th, 2008 at 9:27 am
Carrie at dumptrucksandteacups says:
We’ve talked about this before… Our Bible, the computer, photo albums, some books and some clothes. I am sure we’d be running through the house grabbing anything that we would fit in though.
Thankful that you are safe. :)
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October 15th, 2008 at 2:14 pm
Tiffany says:
Lets see… Important documents! All scrapbooks or photo albums, a weeks worth of clothes, (in my case) my husband and dog. If I had extra time my hope chest and the book shelf my dad made in high school.
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October 15th, 2008 at 3:44 pm
Rebekah says:
Last year at this time, my mom and I were headed to Phx. for a funeral, with fires just a few miles away, leaving a list for my dad with all the stuff he needed to grab if he had to evacuate… :) …computers, photos, dog, etc…
There’s a guy in my photography class today who was talking about working on the Pendleton fire…he didn’t have his homework ready, but the instructor let him off the hook since he’d been out firefighting — I guess that’s a pretty good excuse, huh?! :)
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October 20th, 2008 at 7:22 pm