Dave, who died recently, was taken to the Emergency Department having collapsed in a supermarket. He had a cell phone on his person and, as good fortune would have it, his lunch date phoned to see why he was late... The ER nurse answered the phone and the lunch date came running, and with her came the information needed to treat him appropriately.

Now. What about if you or I were to be taken off to the ER department in a state of major disrepair. Maybe we are unconscious. Who is our next of kin? Who can make decisions on our behalf? Does this person have any medical allergies? And...just who is this person? There are just a few major pieces of information ER nurses need to know and need to know fast. We can help them, and ourselves, by carrying the information on our person. There is the on-line ICE (In Case of Emergency) service however Ed of Impacted Nurse suggests, urges, people to make themselves a low-tech 'ICE' ID card.

It only takes a short time to make up these things and believe me, this low-tech ICEcard is much more likely to be of use to us. Such a small thing, it can make a big difference to the quality and appropriateness of the care you will get.

Today I've been preparing to be the temporary priest in charge here at the Berkeley Buddhist Priory. This is earthquake country. One needs to be prepared. So it was with some relief that I read about the 19 Commonly Held Myths about Disasters. Maybe an earthquake does not mean instant death after all. And yes, the house has been retro fitted to withstand earthquakes.
Thanks to Ed, once again, for the information.

There is a Buddhist saying: Hope for the best, Prepare for the worst and do the possible.

Anticipatory fear can cause one to become paralyzed into inaction however being prepared can dissolve that fear.