Your home is on fire. Grab five items (assume all people and animals are safe). What did you grab?
I love this Daily Prompt because it made me want to clearly define “essential.” And here is what I grabbed:
1) My purse since it is a link to and protection from the world. Who can do without lipstick, a hairbrush, mirror, hand sanitizer, some cash, a credit card, a cell phone and a camera? I am assuming a handbag counts as one item to grab. Maybe I should carry my Kindle in there too, and some daily food and drink. I think I need a bigger purse now.
2) The Emergency Fire box containing important documents, even though I have forgotten which documents are in there.
3) My Computer for all the old family photographs that can be reprinted. And I think I put photos of all our furniture in a computer file too (in case of a fire). I can also keep blogging if I have my computer!
4) My Bag of Chargers to keep all my electronic gadgets going – cell phone, computer, Kindle reader. Must not forget the charger things.
5) A Winter Coat, depending on the weather. Or a bathing suit. Who knows, I could wind up in a motel with a heated pool. Or I could head south and lounge on a beach whilst waiting for the house to be rebuilt!
This prompt really got me thinking because it is not only a grand writing exercise, but I realize I do need to update things. For instance, I should add more family photos to my computer files because it would be easier to retrieve one computer than to lug all the albums out. Besides, this prompt calls for five grab-items and I have at least 40 albums!
I thought of adding a change of clothes to the must have grab list, but I don’t have a change of clothes waiting and ready. What exactly is in our “fire box” anyway? I should check that too and add more papers to forget. And how important is the winter coat or the bathing suit? I guess I had visions of standing out in the snow watching my house burn. Talk about a nightmare! But, I have my purse so I could conceivably buy needed clothing.
Is there something else I should grab that would be more important? I know we are only supposed to choose five items and the people in my life are assumed safe, but I would definitely grab my husband (and maybe send him back inside) because he could grab five more items!
I like the sending the husband back for five more items–and never thought of the laptop, but now I will–but my purse for sure
Makes you think about things you would actually take. A great exercise.
This is definitely a thought -provoking prompt! I think you wisely chose your five items.
Thank goodness the people and the critters were assumed safe.
What a frightening thoughts. A firebox, well, aren’t you the organised one. I think photographs would be top of my list – they’re just so completely irreplaceable.
It’s just a little firebox but holds things like marriage license, wills, etc., so it serves our purpose. We know a couple who lost their home to fire. Both were not at home. They said the worst loss was the family photographs, so you are right to put them as priority.
So many choices. I have thought about a catastropic event especially when we lived in a hurricane/tornado prone area, and lightening strikes were common.
I keep a bank safe deposit box for vitally important things; will, insurance policies, bank account records, marriage license, car titles and such. Then left a duplicate key and signed permission for access with my daughter.
Prescription meds, purse and of course pets are the three most important things, photos and I had not thought about my computer – that stores my ‘brain’.
These comments offer ideas I had not thought about.
Thanks Ray’s Mom! I’m so glad you got some ideas out of this post. I found the Prompt to be challenging too and kept forgetting things. Prescription meds would be an important one but I suppose the dr. could reissue any forgotten prescriptions.
The weatherman here just said we are in a “severe fire burn ban” day, as the winds are shaking the house, so this is timely. We had to evacuate due to fires last year, and the first thing I grabbed was photos, but that was 10 shoeboxes and 27 photo albums, so you’re right to want to scan them all and put them on your hard drive (which I have since done). But then how does one scramble to carry it down stairs? Maybe have them all on a memory stick? Folks down the road locked the front door and ran out, only to realize they left their keys inside and couldn’t go back, and the car melted in the garage. So don’t forget your car!
Thanks for this comment kerbey! Sounds like the Daily Prompt about a house burning was certainly timely. I neglected to say my computer is a laptop so I can just unplug it and carry it out with all the pictures in there. A memory stick is a good idea though. And the car is vital – must not forget the car.
Thanks foro this comment kerbey! You take us right into reality!
Leave the fire-box. They are made to withstand fire anyway.
I have thought of this before. Pictures are important, but do you have time? It’s good I have so many loaded on FB and Costco Photo. I think of my quilts–all that work, heritage pieces for my kids and grandkids if they appreciate them. My record albums? They don’t exist anymore except in the odd thrift store–ever since my record company canned me in the early 80s. I am not holding a grudge. Oh, wait! Some are pirated and available on Amazon, so I’m kind of safe. Maybe I’ll just save hubby and me and throw caution to the wind.
I don’t trust anything made by man – including fireboxes! Love all your wild thinking about what to take out of a burning house. The quilts – yes! Keep them in a pile you can grab and run. They could replace the winter coat so forget the coat!
I don’t trust anything made by man – so the firebox goes! And yes, I would take a pile of quilts because they are for future generations. You could omit the winter coat and use the quilts instead too.
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Excellent post! 1) purse, 2) firebox, 3) cell phone, 4) laptop, 5) wedding ring which I never wear around the house. You make us think about practical things!
Hard choices for sure!
Easy decision – all photo albums, scrapbooks, and my laptop. My purse and my hubby’s wallet would be a good idea too because it is a pain in the butt to replace I.D.
Hubby’s wallet! I should have thought of that one!
Well, hopefully hubby would remember that himself, but men are kind of dense sometimes LOL!!!!!!
Love your choices, doran.