“I'm afraid of dying”: The reason I decided to face disaster preparedness

First of all, I am not strong.
I am now starting to work as a disaster prevention specialist.
But it is not because I am a strong or admirable person.
On the contrary, I have many anxieties and worries, and I am always wondering, “Will I be able to do this properly?”

And I amafraid of dying.
And I am afraid thatI will surely never be able to forgive myself if I cannot protect my family and my dog during a disaster.

Disaster preparedness is about preparing for future emergencies—preventing disasters before they happen, and knowing that preparation brings peace of mind—but I feel afraid of that future.

Last time, I posted about the reason I became interested in disaster preparedness, but this time I would like to talk about how I approach it.

Why I decided to face disaster preparedness

I didn't decide to get involved in disaster preparedness because I was “highly conscious” about it.
It was actually the opposite:because my anxiety was so strong that I couldn't just stay ignorant.

“If a disaster happens, will I be able to move?”
“Will I really be able to protect my children and my dog?”
Every time I thought about that, my chest would tighten.

I have two small children.
And currently, the area where we live is far from both my and my husband's hometowns, so we have no one to rely on.
That is precisely why the feeling that I must protect my family has grown so large.

The anxiety I felt as someone who couldn't even train my dog

We have a precious dog.
She is an Australian Cattle Dog, a powerful breed.
But to be honest,my anxiety is greater when I imagine a disaster scenario.

“What if she barks?”
“What if we can't get into the evacuation center?”
“What if I get separated from her...?”

The more I thought about it, the more I couldn't find answers, and I just became more and more afraid.
As a former pet media operator, I have interacted with many pet owners and dog trainers, but I have often seen situations where dog trainers say that if owners don't put more effort into training, it will be a disaster during an emergency, while owners respond with the contradictory answer that “my dog is fine.”
Every time that happened, my own anxiety grew.

Because I can't do it, I decided to learn

I am not the type of person who can do everything skillfully.
ButI felt that if I stayed unable to do it, a day of regret would come.
So, I decided to learn.
I intend to get my disaster prevention specialist certification and, from here on, find my own way of doing disaster preparedness little by little.
Even now that I have become a Pet Disaster Crisis Manager, I continue to share information about pet disaster preparedness.

When I actually moved, I chose a steel-frame house, spent nearly a year gathering supplies, changed my car, and rearranged my rooms, and by repeating the process of input and output, I have been able to acquire skills.

I believe disaster preparedness is “one person's gentle courage”

When people hear “disaster preparedness,” they might think it's something only strong and reliable people do.
But I think
“trying to know because you're afraid” or “preparing because you might not be able to protect them”
—that wavering feeling is actually the starting point of disaster preparedness.Everyone has a reason to be interested in disaster preparedness, and besides the feeling of wanting to protect their own life, there should be an equal feeling of wanting to protect their loved ones.


That is why I believe that interest in disaster preparedness is not something special, but one person's gentle courage
.

Finally: To anyone feeling anxious

If you are feeling anxious about disaster preparedness right now, I think that is very natural. I also started from a place where I couldn't do anything.
But the feeling that “there is someone I want to protect” has never changed.
That is my “starting point for disaster preparedness.”
I would be happy if this post could gently push the back of someone who is feeling the same anxiety.
Disaster preparedness is about the future, and because it is unpredictable, it is easy to put off.
However, by having a little bit of awareness, small acts of disaster preparedness should continue and become a major defense.