Moira Reid's Blog, page 10

Getting to Know A.C. Moore

To quote a great Mandalorian from a mediocre film, “I’m just a simple man trying to make his way in the Universe.” But Jango Fett aside, that’s really what I think. For as long as I can remember, I’ve been telling stories. Not like what you’d expect from a young child, what with the spinning lies to cover mistakes or percieved grievances from his parents, but real stories; stories of far away places, people and events, fictions of sapient canines at war with reptilian hominids in space, of super heroes, of fantasy warlords and spellbound swordsmen. Taels of wonder, of fear, of the hardships of those who rise above their station and change the world for the better. It came as second nature to me. And for a long time I didn’t really know why. I just yearned to create new stories and ideas, as if I needed them like air in my lungs. It’s all I’ve ever wanted to do.

My family moved a lot when I was younger. My father was a United States Marine. That carried with it a number of issues; constant moving meant new schools, and since I had an undiagnosed learning disability until I was arond 12 years old, that meant it remained hidden when otherwise a teacher or concerned person may have been able to put the pieces together faster. This disability left me illiterate for those years. It was embarassing, and left me with shame and guilt that I still struggle with to this day. On top of this, I was, and still am, an introverted personality. This left me with a difficulty in making new friends, or even keeping old ones. With these struggles all combining against little A.C., I spent the majority of my time diving into worlds I created myself, places where I could be whoever I wanted and not feel so lonely.

My literacy seemed impossible to achieve, and that fact was told to me over and over by my teachers and peers. No matter what I did, the letters on the page would move, slide, even fall off the paper. I knew the alphabet. I could recite the letters, and even write them by themselves, but as soon as those letters were brought together into words, something changed. P’s looked like d’s, or q’s, or both at the same time. vowels would blend together, and entire sentences became single words on the worksheets I was given. “You’re just not smart enough,” was the most common phrase I heard in those days from my teachers. It hurt.

In the fifth grade I was lucky enough to be in a class with a teacher who specialized in learning issues. Her name was Mrs. Papke. She recognized my issue almost immediately as I explained my difficulty with the assignments. Consigned to my defeat and suffering from depression, I told her what I had heard from so many people. That I was stupid.

“You’re not stupid,” She replied with such genuine concern. “You’re dyslexic.” I had never heard the term before. She explained that it was a different way of my mind working, where I interepreted information in ways that other neurotypical people didn’t. She began to teach me techniques to control my dyslexia, and over the course of that school year, my reading level went from below first grade to college level. I could finally grasp the magnitude of written language, and I was so hungry for those words. I began reading everything I could find, especially fiction, becasue I wanted to know what worlds others had created and how they did it. It filled me with joy, but more than that, it filled me with hope.

Because of Mrs. Papke, I have been able to harness my mind and share it with others. Writing is more than entertainment. It is the deepest, most impactful way to transmit raw, pure thought to another being. It is telepathy in paper. Whatever I put on in these words as you read them, you hear them, feel them, see them in your mind; and you understand them. Without my voice ringing against your ear drum, you hear me. Across time and space, you hear me. And even when I am gone and burried, what I have written will remain. That is the power she gave me. And I am eternally grateful.

We moved yet again after I learned so much from Mrs. Papke. As I progressed through high school, I was constantly approached by english teachers asking me to participate in writing tournaments within my school district. They complimented my writing, and told me how great they thought it was. It was terrifying. All those years I had known only that teachers would tear me down and tell me how dumb I was, and then suddenly I was seen as a prodigy, it felt. I didn’t know how to handle it. But I’ve always had a sense of pride within myself to try new things and give them my all. So I did the tournaments. I always made the qualifiying rounds, but the finals had to be hand written; this was my bane, as a computer can help me catch when my dyslexia is leaving a word mispelled, or crushed into another word to make a new frankienword. But pen and paper hold no such mechanism. So I usually got third in those events.

It took a lot of time and effort to escape the programming of my youth. I still struggle with these issues to this day. I am not stupid. I am dyslexic.

I am a writer. I am one because every day I choose to be one. There is no point of success or wealth that determines whether I am a writer or not. Only that I decide it myself. People too often focus on what cannot be done. I hear it all the time. Sure, making it in any profession isn’t easy. But that shouldn’t stop you from chasing your dreams. You can get laid off or fired from a job you don’t even like just because the market changed around you, so it’s not like there’s any less risk in doing something you like, or even love. Take the chances you want to take, instead of the ones you feel obligated to do. All of life is a gamble. So put your chips on the one you really want to win. Les Brown once said, I’d rather aim high and miss than aim low and hit.” I couldn’t agree more. So keep going. I won’t quit. My work isn’t in an office or a store, it’s to create worlds and transmit them to others with paper telepathy.

Understanding Shinto

You may have heard of Shinto before. In a nutshell it is a religion of eastern Asia originating in Japan, which focuses on nature and cleansing rituals. But there is so much more to Shinto than what can be put into a single sentence. I became fascinated with this religion a number of years ago, as I began to study Japanese history on a whim. But I soon moved on to other childhood pursuits, and forgot about most of it over time. Recently, I decided to look back into the subject, in hopes to better understand the cultural, spiritual, and personal applications that this philosphy has to offer to me and others.

Shinto, also known as Kami-no-Michi, focuses on the divine of the natural world. the world kami, while it has no direct english translation, would most accurately be described as a sacred spirit. And nearly anything could be considered, or become, a kami. The sun, moon, water, and even unique trees have kami associated with them. What’s more, there are kami unique to different regions of Japan, based on the cultural and communal interests of the local people in each region.

Even a person can become kami, with one example being the emperor Ojin, who, upon his death, was enshrined as the kami Hachiman. Hachiman is the kami of war, and is considered a protector of Japan. Human beings becoming kami can also extend to ancestors, or founders of communities. Much of the concept in Shinto centers on the idea that as one thinks of the thing, if it conjures a sense of awe or wonder then it is kami. Not all kami are inherently good, either.

There are also kami that can represent calamity, hardship, or evil. Each of these kami often have messengers associated with them, who most often are manifest in the form of animals. The kami agriculture, industry, and success, Inari, has foxes as it’s messenger.

Purity is a key point of Shinto practice. Purifying rituals can be done in a number of ways and for a number of reasons, from christening of children, blessing new homes or vehicles, or to restore someone to health spiritually. The most common things associated with being pollutants and requiring purification after being exposed are disease and the dead. Most purification rituals revolve around bathing, often in water or salt water. Some others will have a priest or priestess apply salt to the individual partaking in the ritual, as salt is seen as a pure element.

Where moral direction is concerend, Shinto does not provide as robust a directive as many other modern religions do. Rather than decrying many behaviors, or extoling others, Shinto focuses on balance with nature and the cosmos, finding the place where you are most at harmony with your fellow beings and the world around you. Being in harmony can mean being productive, but most often it means being sincere and honest in your interactions with others.

This moral code, called kannagara, guides practitioners of Shinto to behave with the future in mind, considering how their actions will affect themselves and others. The overall desire here is to do good, with good meaning being kind to others, nature, and yourself, and avoiding actions or places that would lead to impurity.

Balance with nature and with ones self can lead to a greater sense of personal fulfillment. What’s more, understanding the messages of Shinto does not require someone to leave behind any other beliefs they may hold already. Many Shinto practitioners will participate in religious ceremonies of a number of faiths, celebrating Christian holidays, or having Buddhist funeral rites for their loved ones, along with their own activities. This openmindedness is what excited me most. The idea that though we may all be different, we can learn from one another, and enrich our lives by finding new ideas about the world around us to help us find common ground. In the end, all beings are simply trying to find a way to be the best version of themselves, and hoping to leave the world in a better condition than they found it.

Very Spicy Chili

Over the last few years I’ve created a fantasy world called Alteris, which is where Kingdoms, my live action interactive theater, events take place. Part of the creation of that world is also the creation of it’s cultures, religions, and food. One food I’m particularly proud of is called Yoba, an extremely spicy orange chili from the southern region of Filenfoe in this fictional world. The stew is meant to be one that really tests the pallet of the diners.

Aside from its robust smokey flavor and use of multiple hot peppers, it is one that shouldn’t be tested lightly. However, for those of you who love hot heat flavors, I suggest you get your stew pots ready.

Yoba combines a number of ingredients. You will need dried New Mexican chili peppers, serano peppers, habenero peppers, green chili peppers, and jalepeno peppers. And that’s just the peppers! For the dry spices you will need chili powder, cayenne pepper powder, cumin, corriander, and salt.

You will also need one whole yellow onion, four cloves of garlic, one pound of shredded pork meat, one pound of ground meat (I suggest poultry), one can of black beans, one can green chili sauce, a bundle of cilantro, one lime, one mango, one container of beef broth, and red cabbage.

First things first you need to put a large stock pot on the stove top at medium heat. Add a fair amount of olive oil to the bottom and toss in the New Mexican chili peppers with the diced yellow onion. Stir those together until it begins to smoke slightly. Then, add a cup of beef broth, all of the dry spices, and stir until it forms a thick paste. Let the paste sit until it begins to bubble slightly.

At this point you add the meat and stir together until all the meat is cooked through. Then, add the remainder of the broth, with 2 to 3 cups of water, until the mixture is soup like in consistency. At this point, you will add the beans, shredded cilantro, and diced peppers. As the Yoba bubbles over the next 10 minutes, crush the mango and lime into a small mixing bowl with the green chili sauce. After you’ve got that mixture ready to go, add it to the Yoba, mixing it completely together.

Give it another 20 minutes to completely combine all the flavors in the pot. When you serve it, top it with thinly sliced red cabbage. It will have a strong, smokey aroma, and the flavor kicks with both sweet and spicy elements. Many of my taste testers have commented that the stew is remarkably hot, though I find it a pleasant meal for any number of ocasions.

I created this recipe to serve specifically at my Kingdoms events, where people attend to get the feeling of being in another world, one of magic and wonder. This meal helps those who attend suspend their disbelief, as it tastes unlike anything most people have ever eaten, and gives a powerful kick to the tastebuds. One that anyone is sure to remember.

Be sure to keep plenty of beverage on hand if you do serve this meal. It will make your tongue burn. That’s part of the fun of it. Because it tastes so good, you’ll fight through that fire just for another bite of that sweet, sweet Yoba.

Vision Boards: How to Find Success

WHERE DO YOU START?

Your first step on this journey toward accomplishing your goals is to make a Vision Board. Put a square on the wall as a frame for your goals. Use painters tape, cork board, anything. It doesn’t need to be fancy, just do it right away. Look at those goals in the morning and at night. Do it for three minutes each time. It’s that simple.

It doesn’t matter what your Vision Board looks like. So often we find ourselves thinking that only perfect things yield perfect results. Consider, though, that humans are not perfect beings. Yet, throughout human history great things have been accomplished by imperfect people. If you want perfect results, all you need to do is start. The rest comes from there.

HOW TO GET IT WORKING

A few things you must do to increase your success with the Vision Board are:
 Put it on the wall, in the open, by your bed
 Use both imagery and written words
 Make it a reasonable size

Your Vision Board should be out where you can see it. If you hide the Vision Board, then your brain will think you’re ashamed of it! Studies have shown that 57% of our communications are gestures, or in other words, images

A picture is worth a thousand words, as the saying goes. Our brains function in two halves—the left responds strongly to auditory input, the right to imagery. Use both to close the gap between your logical and artistic brain.

There are some natural limitations of the brain. If your Vision Board is gigantic you will miss out on the power of your brain. Keep that Vision Board around 2 ½ feet square. Arrange your goals in a tic tac toe pattern. Have big goals and small ones.

GET INTENSE

When you spend time with your board in the morning, don’t just look at it. Stare at it. Absorb it.

Look at every image on that board. Imagine yourself achieving that goal, be it a promotion at work, a finished novel, or ten thousand dollars. Add statements: I want this, and I will have it!

Your brain is like an office filled with employees who are used to getting little to no input from the CEO. So, when you first start sending them the orders they’re going to complain. Those complaints are the negative thoughts you experience along this journey toward success.

When those negative thoughts come, write them down on a piece of paper. Then destroy that paper! Writing down those negative thoughts will help you recognize what issues your brain is expecting. Destroying them will empower your mind to accomplish your goals. Get those comments were they belong: in the trash.

THOUGHTS AND COMMUNICATION

If you want to be successful, you will need help from other people to do it.
A fundamental truth about the human species is that we are creators. So focus on those creative, positive thoughts. If you do, you’ll be sending the message to the world that you are in Creation Mode. Whether others know it consciously or not, they will feel the signal you’re sending, and they will help you achieve.

Your self-talk will be the determining factor for getting into Creation Mode. If you send the signal to yourself that you aren’t good enough then you are sending the message to your brain that you don’t love yourself. Love yourself, and your brain will infuse you with power and creativity.

FOR BIGGER REWARDS…

The brain acts like a sponge for all the input it can find, including the negative ideas from the world around us. When you apply pressure to your brain in the form of bigger goals, you are squeezing out that negative energy.

As discussed earlier, you will need help from others to really create success. Clean up the relationships you have and also make new relationships.

Any languishing relationship you have, fix it. Ask for forgiveness. You may not receive it; don’t let that stop you. What matters is that you make the effort to fix your relationships.
Your success will plateau if you don’t make the effort to clean up your relationships. However, if you continue to improve your relationships— with others, yourself, and even your higher power— you will find strength you never knew you had.

SUCCESS IS IN YOU

So, do it! Put up a Vision Board right now! Teach people about these principles. Show them what you have accomplished from your own Vision Board. Make your successes happen, because you truly can accomplish anything if you focus, love yourself, and build your relationships.

SEVEN WAYS TO PREPARE FOR FUTURE EMERGENCIES

Emergency preparedness is essential if you want to have a fighting chance for you and your family when things get hard in the world. You never know when an emergency situation can strike. Floods, earthquakes, pandemics, economic crisis, and more can happen without warning, leaving store shelves empty either through panic buying or cut off supply lines. What can you do to be prepared for an emergency when it comes your way? Are you prepared enough already? You may think you are, but to be safe, here’s a list of the 7 best ways to ensure you are really prepared for an emergency when it comes along.

Keep in mind that an emergency isn’t just when something happens on a community or global scale. An emergency can affect just you, or your family, and those sort of emergencies are some of the most important to be prepared for. 

ONE: HAVE A PEACE OF MIND FUND

A peace of mind fund is a savings of money that you can access quickly and easily when you have the need. Times of emergency are times when you need access to your savings without the hoops associated with some types of savings accounts, like IRA’s. Locking your money away can seem good for your future. But if you don’t have access to some of your saved money for when you need it, you could be shooting yourself in the foot. 

A time when you could need access to your savings would be if you are injured and unable to work until the injury has healed. This happens more often than you’d expect in America, with a worker being injured in the workplace as often as once every second of the day. It is likely that sooner or later, you could also face one of those injuries. Having a peace of mind fund does exactly what it sounds like: it gives you peace of mind, knowing that if you got hurt, or if something unexpected happened like a natural disaster, you’d have the money set aside you’d need to handle those situations. Being ready for anything means having money ready, too. So set up your own peace of mind fund and start building your reserves of money!

TWO: MAKE DIFFERENT PLANS

Having a plan for an emergency is great. But there isn’t only one type of emergency. There are hundreds. If you’ve prepared your family for one emergency, that is a great place to start. But don’t stop there. Making a plan for all the kinds of emergency situations you can face in your geographical area is the next step. Are earthquakes common in your area, or floods, wildfires, or hurricanes? If you don’t know what kinds of emergency disasters can affect your area, go and find out! Being prepared means having a plan for the different kinds of emergencies that can affect you and your family when you least expect it. 

There are four main questions to answer for any emergency preparedness plan. 1. How will I keep aware of emergency alerts in my area? 2. What is my plan for shelter? 3. What is my evacuation route? 4. What is my family communication plan? These questions will keep you and your family prepared for the myriad dangers that could face you in the future should an emergency situation arise. You also should determine your own household needs for emergency situations, like having extra medication on hand if you or someone in your family has a condition that requires a certain kind of medicine to treat. Once you’ve made your plans, you should practice them every once in a while to prepare your children and yourself for handling the stressful situations of an emergency. That way, when one comes up, you’ve already been through what to do and where to go, saving you and your loved ones the panic of not knowing how to handle those scary situations. 

THREE: SET ASIDE FOOD STORAGE

Food storage is one of the most important things to have for an emergency. Having at least 3 months worth of food on hand is a good way to lessen your worry about an emergency situation. A 3 month supply ensures that you have enough for yourself and your family should roads and other public services become unavailable. Finding the right fit for your family’s needs when it comes to food is simple as well. Have a variety of options ready for different challenges, ranging from 72 hour kits for 2 people to 12 months worth of supplies for a whole family. 

Having the right amount of food supplies for before the emergencies happen is a key to being prepared. If you wait until an emergency arrives, you’ll have to fight against crowds of other people who also waited too long, often finding the stores already stripped clean of the items you were hoping to get. This can also be true of online orders. Get your food storage before the disasters strike! 

FOUR: LEARN ABOUT YOUR COMMUNITY RESPONSE

In an emergency, it’s important to have a safety net of other people who can look out for you and your family. That’s why most communities have already developed a plan to aid their fellow community members should an emergency arrive. If you don’t know what your community emergency plans are, you can find them by reaching out to your community leaders. If your community hasn’t made preparations yet, you can lead the charge. Ready.gov provides a helpful checklist for getting started here. By organizing with your community or neighborhood, you can help create a plan, or become aware of already existing plans, to handle an emergency together. Many places with HOA’s or community centers may already have such plans in place. If so, reach out to those organizations, and ask what you can do to help. Being involved in your community builds confidence in your surroundings, as well as a sense of safety. 

FIVE: FIRST AID

Having your own first aid kit could mean all the difference in an emergency. Being able to take care of yourself and your family means having the supplies on hand when things get difficult, and medical supplies are extremely important for being fully prepared for any natural disaster. You may not be able to quickly get to a hospital when an emergency hits your area. Be sure to educate yourself on the use of the items in your first aid kit. If you want to know more about what should be in your emergency first aid kit, The American Red Cross has a helpful list you can review.

SIX: HAVE ENOUGH WATER

Most people know that if you go without water for over 3 days, you’re in for a world of hurt. But worse than going without water is going with water that you can’t be sure is clean. Drinking water that isn’t clean can lead to a number of different illnesses, leaving you weakened or in serious danger during an already difficult time of an emergency. Having access to clean water supplies makes rehydrating food storage items safer and easier, too. But storing water is difficult. It’s heavy, takes up a lot of space, and can also go bad if stored too long in tough conditions. You’ll need to have at least 1 gallon per day per person in your water storage. Also, check it frequently, and ensure the water is sealed, fresh, and ready. Replace it as necessary.

SEVEN: HAVE ENOUGH HYGIENE ITEMS

Personal hygiene is important whether you’re in an emergency or not, but it becomes more so when emergencies strike. Keeping clean will stave off illness. Have enough personal hygiene items in your family’s preparedness kits to handle their needs should an emergency arise. Things like toothpaste, shaving cream, razors, feminine products, and soap. These items will ensure that when an emergency hits your area, you and your family are ready to survive it.

Being prepared means being ready for whatever could happen. Make a plan, practice it, and have the supplies you need to keep your family safe!

Six Things To Do During the 2020 Pandemic

Quarantine has come to most cities and states as a result of the COVID 19 outbreak. With local and state governments issuing stay at home and shelter in place orders, many of you may already have been stuck at home for weeks. Beyond the difficulty of working from home, or being laid off, there is the impending boredom lurking just around the corner. How many times can you watch the same movies and TV shows! Well fear not, because here’s seven new things you can still do while you’re in quarantine!

You don’t have to be bored anymore. And even if you weren’t bored, these new activities will give you plenty to do while stuck in your house without contact with the outside world. 

ONE: LEARN A NEW SKILL

What’s great about learning a new skill is there’s always another one you could pick up! Learning a language, cooking, sewing, or juggling are all great options, and are easy to learn from home through the internet or with different apps on your phone or smart device. The key to being successful in learning a new skill however is choosing one that you actually care about. If you chose a skill to learn that you aren’t super interested in, it’s likely you’ll give up before you’ve really mastered it. Start with something that you actually have an interest in. Maybe it’s something that will help you further your career goals. 

In many cases, learning a new language fits into that category. Duolingo is a phone app that easily allows you to pick up a new language on your time. There are options for learning nearly every language, including some fictional languages, like Klingon from Star Trek! So whether you’re looking to expand your skills to improve your resume, or to increase how cool you are at comic con and parties, learning a new skill is a sure fire way to stave off boredom during a lengthy quarantine.

TWO: SPRING CLEANING

This one can have major health benefits, too. It’s likely while you’ve been in quarantine that you’ve been doing more cleaning. But whether you have been or not, there’s still more to be done! How often do you actually deep clean your home? Most people only fully clean their home once every 3 months. But even that doesn’t include moving all the furniture away from the walls to get the nooks and crannies around your home! By taking the time to work in one room a day, and to get behind everything, you reduce the amount of dust and irritants that are in your home.  

You’ll be surprised what you find under your couch and behind your bookcase.  Sometimes pleasantly so, other times not so much. But there is a great amount of peace of mind that comes from knowing your home is freshly cleaned of all the gunk that was lurking behind your furniture. Plus, the added bonus of spring cleaning is you get to know what things you actually have in your home. Do you have clothes you’ve not worn in years? Old electronics you’re not using anymore? You can box those old items up to donate or recycle, giving new life to things that were just collecting dust! 

THREE: MAKE YOUR OWN GAME

It’s likely that you and your family have played through your board games more than once by now while you’ve been in quarantine. And if you haven’t, you’re probably not far away from hitting that quota. Playing the same game over and over can be fun up to a point, but eventually you’ll start craving something new. Whether you know it or not, you have some creativity inside of you! Being stuck in quarantine is the perfect time to let that creativity blossom and flourish. Take some time to come up with your own games. You can even build your own game boards, pieces, or cards to go along with what you come up with! Make it a family affair. If you are struggling to find some creative ideas, your kids will gladly fill in the blanks. 

FIVE: START AN EXERCISE ROUTINE

Exercise is a great way to relieve stress and improve your health. If you’ve been stuck at home for over a week, it’s likely you’re feeling stressed. Set up a time every day that you exercise. Invite your whole family to participate. It doesn’t need to be anything super hard or serious, just something to get you moving and your blood pumping. There are many apps you can use to create simple exercise routines for you and your family. Find one that works for you and get started on your own routine!

SIX: PLAY A TABLETOP ROLE PLAYING GAME

Have you ever played Dungeons and Dragons? Now could be a good time to start! Granted, you may feel it’s not for you; maybe you don’t think of yourself as a nerd. But you don’t have to be a nerd to enjoy a good game with your family. Dungeons and Dragons, and other tabletop adventures like Pathfinder, Star Wars Edge of the Empire, or Gloomhaven are all great creative outlets for people of all ages. Tabletop games are a change of pace that you could really enjoy if you gave it a chance!

SEVEN: LEARN A DANCE

Your spouse might like it if you learned some somba and took them ‘out’ for a night of lively dancing in your mood lit living room. With access to the internet, learning a new dance style or routine is as easy as pressing enter. If you have kids, you could learn a dance routine together. Your parents and extended family are probably stuck in their homes too, and getting a fun video from you and your family could be just the thing they need to stave off their loneliness and boredom! Time to learn that TikTok dance you’ve been hearing about!

No matter what you choose to do with your time in quarantine, you’ve got a unique opportunity here to create good memories with your loved ones. Take the time to let them know you love them, and that you care about them. By making the effort now to show those you care about that things are going to be okay, you can create an atmosphere of trust in your home that will last long after the quarantine is over.

Seven Lessons From The COVID-19 Pandemic

The 2020 COVID-19 pandemic has caused serious trouble throughout the world. Economic turmoil, food and supply shortages, and strain on the medical community. While in a quarantine from this pandemic, you may have spent some time laughing at toilet paper memes. But there is a lot to learn from the response your government and your fellow citizens had to the pandemic. 

No matter how you’ve spent your time inside from the COVID-19 pandemic, the important lessons of how this virus has affected people and will continue to affect people can educate you not only for the present, but the future.

ONE: MOST PEOPLE AREN’T PREPARED FOR DISASTER

When the virus hit, people panicked. They bought too much toilet paper, not enough food, and kept ending up back in packed stores to get the supplies they thought they needed. That behavior led to more people being exposed to the virus than you may realize, causing the rise in numbers we’ve seen in many cities and states. Fear drove people to behave irrationally. Some didn’t take the situation serious enough, also causing them to behave irrationally by senselessly exposing themselves to people and places that could infect them. 

Being prepared for a disaster like the current COVID-19 pandemic would have reduced the risk of infection to so many people. But that didn’t happen. According to ready.gov, less than 20 percent of Americans are actually prepared for a disaster. To put that in perspective, if you’d gotten a 20 percent on a test, you’d be repeating that class. It’s beyond a failing grade. If you are not prepared for a disaster, the current pandemic can act as your trial run. How’d you do? What were you missing? Take the time to educate yourself on the right things to have for your disaster preparedness kit. This is one of the most important lessons you can take away from the COVID-19 pandemic. 

TWO: GOVERNMENTS MAY BE SLOW TO ACT

The response from some governments to the COVID-19 pandemic wasn’t quite up to speed with the severity of the issue. Many places downplayed the danger of exposure and the spread of the virus, leading to tens of thousands more people being infected than what otherwise could have occurred. You can’t always rely on your elected officials to know what to do when a crisis comes along. That’s why self reliance is so important when it comes to being prepared for disaster. 

What can you do to become more self reliant? There are many places to start. Having enough first aid, food, and water on hand are some of the best places to prepare first when setting up for your own preparedness. The governments of the world do their best in most cases, but the ultimate lesson here is this: if you want to survive a serious situation, you and only you are responsible for making it happen. 

THREE: STORES CAN’T KEEP UP WITH DEMAND

When a disaster event strikes, it puts a lot of strain on the essential businesses which keep America going. Markets and  groceries usually have plenty on hand, but when people are panicking, those resources can get depleted pretty quickly. Then, it takes quite a while for those resources to be restocked, leaving people who’ve not prepared with the essentials before a disaster holding the bag. You can’t always expect the store to be fully stocked with everything you need day to day. The lesson here again is preparation.

Being prepared with the essentials will help you avoid the strain of empty shelves at the store. However, you may never know when a disaster will strike, so how can you ensure your preparations last until you need them? Most foods have relatively short expiration dates, and water can get bacterial growth if left alone in containers for too long. The best way to avoid spoilage is having food storage that is designed to last decades. Some options can last up to 25 years in storage. As well, you should have a means of collecting or purifying water in your survival set up, to help you avoid being hungry and thirsty in the next emergency.

FOUR: JOBS CAN VANISH OVERNIGHT

Even if you’re specialized in your employment and doing well, world events can cause your business to grind to a halt before you’ve even had time to notice. Since March of 2020, unemployment has gone up to over 6 million. Before that, it was at an all time low. No matter who you are or where you work, COVID-19 has shown that any job can face serious struggles when a disaster comes along. Being prepared here means having your finances in order. Use your money wisely and prepare for the future by investing, reducing debts, and having a readily accessible savings of at least 2 months of salary. 

FIVE: BIG BUSINESSES ARE STRUGGLING

Even titans of industry like Disney are facing the strain of the COVID-19 pandemic. With the closure of movie theaters, amusement parks, and stores, companies that once produced millions upon millions a month are barely scraping by. What’s more interesting, is that these companies, which produced billions a year, hadn’t prepared themselves for the event of disaster. Even mega corporations with tons of resources neglected to ready themselves for the unexpected. Take this opportunity to learn from their mistake, and set aside a fund for when unexpected disasters strike. These can be more than just globally affecting situations. If you or a loved one suddenly falls ill or faces serious injury, having a fund prepared for such events will reduce your stress and help you be the hero your family needs in trying times. 

SIX: TEACHING FROM HOME

If you have children, you are now a full time teacher as well as a parent and provider. Easy, right? Hardly. When COVID-19 became a pandemic, most local governments called for the closures of schools. This means those kids are now at home full time, with needs for education, nurture, hunger, and more. Being prepared for something like this may not have even been on your mind before the outbreak. How could you expect for schools to close? But they did all the same, and a pandemic isn’t the only thing that could cause such closures. Earthquakes, or other serious natural disasters could do the same thing. Being prepared for having to be the school for your kids can be difficult, but it means you’ll need to take the time to get to know the material they are studying. It can be a good opportunity for you to bond more with your children, and make long lasting memories, as well!

SEVEN: VIRUSES ARE EASY TO SPREAD

In the past you probably got sick once or twice a year. The common cold, the flu, you name it. No big deal right? It just happens. But now, with everyone listening more closely to CDC guidelines, you’ve probably realized that you touch your face all the time and don’t wash your hands as thoroughly as you thought. Every day we touch thousands of things everywhere we go, and who knows who else touched it, or what illness they may have had. So learning to wash your hands more carefully, as well as avoiding touching your face, are things to keep up long after the COVID-19 pandemic is over. It will probably help you avoid getting sick with those common illnesses!

Take the lessons you learn during this pandemic seriously. You never know what is coming in the future, and what you’ve learned here can help you avoid more trouble down the road in life.

You Had to Be There

It was routine. I got off work on Thursdays, and I went to Barnes & Nobles. I did it every week, often to explore new and different options in the RPG section. My friends always laughed at me, like I should be going to a game store to get the best stuff, but I’d be damned if I was going to take a 45 minute train ride just to get the same things I could from the store that was a five minute walk from my flat. It was a bit cloudy that day when I went down the street, hugging my jacket against the biting air. 

There was an old man at the doors of the bookstore as I approached, hastily spitting out the last lines what I could only assume was a joke to another set of patrons as they hurried past him.

“She hid the knife in its usual place,” He said, “Unaware that the dog was watching and would later bury it in HIS favorite hiding place.” 

He laughed at his own joke as I quickly walked by, doing my best to avoid eye contact. There was something about him; something wrong that I couldn’t quite place. I knew where I was going, seventh row back from the doors, right to the D&D books and manuals. I was ready for a new adventure, and as their DM, I felt my friends were counting on me to keep up with the latest rules and tools of the game. I browsed the selection as I heard an awkward shuffling come into the aisle beside me. It was the old man.

“You know I used to play these,” The old man said. I smiled and nodded absently. “I was a Dungeon Master, back in my day.”

I looked side long at  the man, but that was too much; we locked eyes for a moment, and he took it as a sign to share his life story. I cursed under my breath.

“You know how all those quests start, ‘It was a dark and rainy night… ‘ Or something like that. Right?”

I took a deep breath. You got this, I thought. Just humor him and he’ll go.

“Yeah, D&D’s pretty fun,” I said.

“Fun?!” The old man shouted, “FUN?! It’s all the same these days! Back in my day, those games were legendary. Every time me and the pals got together, it was all goats, hobgoblins, donuts, and Kieth Morrison. Now look, it’s all fancy premade adventures. I bet you don’t even eat donuts at your games, do you?”

“Everybody loves donuts,” I replied as calm as I could; but I was starting to sweat. This guy was giving me the creeps, and I couldn’t get away from him. We weren’t even in the RPG section anymore, I had started walking through the other aisles in hopes he’d lose interest, but he kept pace with me every step of the way. 

The old man scoffed. “Let me tell you how a real D&D campaign should go. Take this one for instance: you have your players walk into a dungeon, and in the middle of the room are two grey haired elves, and male and female. There’s a boardgame between them. Now, the guy elf, he’s sat at the table, waiting for his wife to make her move, if he wins the game of chess he would live for another year. If he loses he would die. They had been playing this game for a hundred years.”

“Is this going somewhere?” I said, my patience waning fast. 

“Mind your elders,” The old man said as he folded his arms over his chest. At that point I just facepalmed.

“I’m just here to get some books,” I said quickly, “Could you just leave me alone?”

The old man’s eyes filled with tears. I was shocked, I’d never seen an old man cry, let alone been party to the cause.

“I’m sorry?” I said, unsure of what to do in this situation. He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped his face.

“Now, at my advanced age, I more fully understand why I did what I did, and how God saved me so many, many times.”

“What?”

He stared at me for a moment. And I at him. I quickly scanned the shop for sign of any attendant who could create a reason for me to give the old guy the slip, but no one was around. 

“Don’t you want to know why God saved me?” The old man entoned with a sinister grin. I instinctively took a step back. 

“No,” I said flatly. “Not really.”

The old man sighed. 

“Kids these days,” He said. “And can ya blame them? Adults don’t really run the world- have you seen the double down effect of a toddler screaming, and every fucking parent on the hunt for a lost binky? Where are the gps locators on those things?…”

He walked away as he finished his bizarre rant. I hurried back to the seventh row, and quickly found the book I was seeking among the new edition of D&D manuals. I peaked around the aisle, fearful that the old man would be there once more, but he was gone. I breathed a sigh of relief, and hurried to the counter. But the worst part of the whole experience was when I opened my wallet to pay for the book; I was short by two dollars.

Alone

I rarely talk to people. People, the word makes my flesh crawl. They so rarely consider their thoughts, let alone their actions. So I sit, often alone, wherever I find myself. The office leaves me dry, papers upon papers upon papers strewn about, each filed to where it belongs, fast, thorough, without mistake. Occasionally I get an ‘attaboy’ from the suits, but suits are all I see in their eyes. No thought or desire to make a way of their own. So I sit, often alone.

The bus is no different. So many people, so little energy. The most energy is usually in the younger ones, with their music and hair and clothes, each one louder than the last. But even these aren’t people to me. I sit, often alone in the vinyl seat, breathing in the vapors of the ‘people’ around me, catching the essence of where they’ve been. Do they even know? Perhaps not, and who is to say I’m any different? Do any of us know where we are or where we’re going? But I do love to watch those ones go, for life hasn’t yet robbed them of their belief that what they do matters or will have an impact on the world where they, too, will one day sit, often alone. 

Home is empty. Two chairs; one for me, and one for my coat. The table broke over a year ago, and the ruins of that three legged incline still rests in the corner where once I sat, always alone. Through the streaked windows I’d watch the movement below, always something or someone down there in the streets, no matter the hour. The best time for viewing was of course 3AM. The most interesting things happen down there when no one thinks you’re watching. The old bed and bookshelf are the only other items that adorn the space of my rooms, so don’t feel too shy to sit wherever you find yourself. If ever you find yourself here, at all. I’m still not sure whether or not you even really exist. But here you are, listening to me ramble, so can I really say I am alone?

Because time is the real enemy, isn’t it? All my life I’ve been going one direction, beginning to end, but I don’t think time is like that at all. Otherwise how could we record our thoughts like this, pen to paper, and have someone read it even hundreds of years later? So then I say time is like a pool of water, every drop butted up against another so close you can’t tell the difference from one to the next. So I guess, really, no one is ever truly alone, because someone will find you, sooner or later, and rifle through your old belongings, your old life, where once you sat, often alone.

Boss Sauce: Teriyaki Recipe

How to Make Teriyaki Sauce

Looking for a super good recipe for a homemade teriyaki sauce? I bet you are. Your mouth is already watering at the thought of that sweet, tangy, spicy sauce glossing over meat and vegetables on your grill, wok, or other cooking utensil. Well, look no further, because I’ve been on an odyssey, looking for that boss sauce. Follow me and we’ll dive into the sea of sauce in this one!

There are a number of different ways to create your own teriyaki sauce. And just between you and me, I love cooking. No joke. So I’ve put a few hours into finding the right combinations for making the best tasting sauces. At least to me. Try it yourself and see how you like it! I can tell you how to get a sauce that will make your homeside kitchen a place your party guests will be talking about for years to come as the premier site of homemade teriyaki. Enough small talk, though. On to the sauce. 

Step One: Ingredients

The finest ingredients are best when crafting your signature sauce. And when I say signature, I mean it. Every teriyaki sauce recipe is a little different, and yours should be no exception. Take some time to experiment with your sauce, to add in something that is uniquely yours after you’ve made this basic sauce. Go nuts! Even add nuts maybe? I’d suggest cashews, finely ground.

You’ll need the following: 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, 3 cloves of fresh, minced garlic, 2 tablespoons of minced ginger, 1 cup of soy sauce, 1 half cup of rice wine vinegar, a half cup of honey, a half cup of brown sugar, 2 tablespoons of sesame seed oil, a half cup of thinly sliced chives, a tablespoon of cornstarch, a half cup of cold water, and the juice of one freshly squeezed orange. Align all these ingredients into a circle before the Necronomicon. Just kidding. Don’t do that. We don’t need any teriyaki zombies roaming your kitchen. I digress. 

Step Two: Mixing

You’ll need a medium sized saucepan for this step. Put it on the burner, and turn it to medium heat. Put the olive oil in first, and get it hot. Once it’s hot, it will sizzle if you put a piece of the garlic in there. Sizzling now? Good, put in all the garlic and ginger and let it sizzle for 30 seconds. Now you toss in the soy sauce, vinegar, honey, brown sugar and sesame oil, stirring until its a bubbling pot of gooey goodness, and all the sugar has melted. This part should take about 4 minutes. Next, you add in the chives, orange juice, and cornstarch, whisking vigorously to mix in the ingredients thoroughly. As you whisk, add in a tablespoon of your cold water. If you want a thinner sauce, you can add in all the water; but if you want it thicker, just measure it out slowly to the desired consistency. Yum! Teriyaki!

Step Three: Applying

Now you’ve got yourself a sauce that will tease the tongue and enliven the heart of any dinner event. You can use the sauce in a number of ways. You could use it as a marinade, and soak fish, poultry, or meat in the gooey goodness for a minimum of 30 minutes before cooking it to perfection. As a marinade, the sauce will permeate the meat and give it a robust, fresh flavor to its core. You can also use it as a dip. Cook your meats just as they are, and with your chopsticks or fork, dip your meat cutlets into the sauce for a powerful kick of meaty goodness and saucy sauciness. That sounds mighty tasty! Third, you can use it as a dressing. Toss your meat and veggies together with rice or noodles, and drizzle the sauce over the top. This is the best of both previous options, taking into mind the fun of a marinade and the freedom of a dip. I’m getting hungry just thinking about it!

Step Four: Eat

Now you’re ready for some food in your belly! Talk about an adventure! Cooking is the one thing humans around the globe have done regardless of culture throughout the ages. Well, except for breathing. And maybe a few other things. But still! This sauce will make you and your guests feel welcome, and full.