Hurricane Irene: Or When I Lost It

September 3, 2011 — Many of us who live in along the East Coast north of South Carolina are still trying to dig out from the ravages of Hurricane Irene. For Topretirements, based on the Connecticut Shoreline, one important step arrived this afternoon, 7 days after the storm – electricity! Internet and cable TV were welcomed back at the same time. We empathize with those who lost their homes, suffered storm damage, were injured, or who still remain without power. We hope your life returns to normal soon.

Those of us in retirement face slightly different challenges in the aftermath of a natural disaster like a hurricane. We don’t have an outside job with modern conveniences to retreat to during the day. Instead, we are stuck at home 24 x7, or worse, in a shelter. Cabin fever can set in as even the most mundane requirements like water, electricity, and refrigeration require us to spend most of our time as hunter-gatherers. Many people retire to areas near the coast or in the mountains, which puts them in the path of more natural disasters. Having a strong personal contingency plan, including basic survival supplies, is essential.

When Did You Lose It?
Keeping a sense of humor is a key part of getting through hard times. Were you inconvenienced by the Hurricane? If so, please tell us about “When You Lost It!” in the Comments section below. For your editor the “losing it” moment came when a well-meaning medical professional just didn’t seem to understand my symptoms during an office visit (although it turns out she was correct). For Roberta the moment came just after she spent most of the afternoon washing clothes at a crowded laundromat. To save time and beat the stampede there she decided to air dry them on the clothesline at home. Upon hanging most of the clothes, the hook snapped off the wall and dropped all the clothes on a dirty floor! Bad words ensued.

Comments
We hope you can find some humor in this, or any tough situation you’ve been in. Instances of great humanity are definitely appreciated. Please tell us your thoughts in the Comments section below.