Thoughts on 'Prepping' and being... older.

Talking with our insurance agent....

"I can sell you life insurance, and I'd be happy to take your money, but do you really need it?"

"Need it?  Please explain."

"Well, the purpose of life insurance is to protect your family from financial problems in the event of your death.  The thing is, your kids are grown up and on their own and you are divorced.  Nobody relies on you for support financially.   It's kind of cold, but I don't see why you should pay for life insurance."

The man made a good point, if an unsettling one.  Being older and retired with significant medical issues changes how a person thinks. Being without a dependent family adds a whole new factor.

Apply that thinking to 'Prepping', or survivalism as it used to be known.  Sure, when you have a family, or at least a good chance of having many years ahead of you, being prepared makes excellent sense.  Money tucked away, basic supplies, and things to make your life comfortable if life goes pear shaped.  Done reasonably, there is no real limit to preparing in such a case.  Who doesn't need money?  Who doesn't like to eat decent food and enough of it to keep eating?  

Take away the dependents and the years, and now it all looks different.  What IS the goal of prepping at that point?

Frankly, it changes the game.  A lot.

Today I was thinking a waterproof case with two good FRS radios, a 2-meter radio, and a small SW/AM/FM receiver along with enough lithium AA's to feed them would be a cool thing to have tucked away in a closet.  It could be a life saver in a once-in-a-lifetime emergency situation.  Think storm of the century, terror attack, major civil unrest, financial ruin.  You know... history repeated.

But, and it's a big but, how much should one worry about a once-in-a-lifetime threat when one's life is mostly past?  Honestly, while it would be fun to put together, such a prep would almost certainly be just one more weird thing my kids have to clean out after I'm gone.

Nice day today.  I think I'll take a glass this evening and smoke a cigar on the deck.... and not worry about things I used to think about.