May 5, 2020: 'Preppers' sitting pretty * Letter to the Editor * OPINION * Del Rio News-Herald

Letter to the Editor,

“Preppers” sitting pretty

Wikipedia offers this definition: “Survivalism is a movement of individuals or groups, called survivalists or preppers, who actively prepare for emergencies, including possible disruptions in social or political order, from local to international. 

The emphasis is on self-reliance, stockpiling supplies, and gaining survival knowledge and skills. 

Survivalists often acquire emergency medical and self-defense training, stockpile food and water, prepare to become self-sufficient, and build structures such as survival retreats or underground shelters that may help them survive a catastrophe.”

Most people ridiculed preppers before this pandemic hit and look who’s laughing now. 

Preppers have been vindicated and are probably thinking, “We told you so.” They told us, but we would not listen. 

Now we probably wish we had listened to them, but most of us were so immersed in our own invincibility that we thought how foolish they all were for living in their fantasy world preparing for something that would probably never happen. 

How wrong we were! 

We were caught ill-equipped and unprepared for all that has been happening. 

The grocery store shelves have been stripped of toilet paper, bottled water, hand sanitizers, and household cleaning products. 

In order to reduce stockpiling, more commonly recognized as hoarding, there are limits for certain high demand items.

All of us in one way or another have recognized the value of what we once took for granted and mistakenly thought would always be there for us. 

Who would ever have thought that of all things toilet paper would be so highly valued and regarded? 

The toilet paper roll has now truly become a prized possession to be used thoughtfully and sparingly. 

Who would have thought that hand washing would be regarded as such a life-saving ritual? 

The brick and mortar grocery stores cannot keep up with the demand and the online stores have seen a tremendous amount of growth. 

After this virus has run its course, more of us will probably become preppers, better prepared for the outbreak of the next virus, not panicking but rather sitting pretty.

Marian Casillas, Ed. D.

Del Rio, Texas