This is probably going to be one of my blogs that breaks the camel's back. So be it! This has to be said as the thoughts rattle in my head!

There seems to be two groups of entitled people I have witnessed in the midst of this coronavirus (COVID19) disaster.

1. Those who never prepare and hoard whatever they can find in desperation.
2. Those who seldom prepare and feel there should be things in the stores when need arises.

Many of you will get defensive but the truth remains that there is an entitlement mentality that arises in the midst of tragedy. Truth be told, this should not offend you to bitterness but inspire pro-activity. In other words, people need to start prepping. There is no logical reason to avoiding the fundamental principles of prepping.

The anti-climatic events of Y2K spawned a very dangerous disposition in most people around the world, in reference to prepping:

indifference

The true character of people evolved as they became irresponsible with their finances. Even now in this current crisis, people are out of control in spending money and ready to physically hurt another human being for that last item on the shelf.

"A lack of planning on your part doesn’t constitute an emergency on mine!"

We all have free will to do as well please, but the consequence is that we have no one to blame when the emergency arrives and we are not prepared. I understand, life happens, but we coordinate more of the happening that constitutes the life we live. Disagree? Consider these:

• The number of movies attended in the last year.
• The number of shows streamed in the last quarter.
• The number of places we have driven, for travel leagues, in the last month.
• The number of days we choose to oversleep in the last week.

We make priorities for everything but prepping. Then comes the madness. The last week looked like an extended version of Black Friday maniacism.

Somehow, someway, people managed to purchase things in desperation that they should have purchased in preparation. I found myself doing the same. These supplies have been on the shelves for months and years. The hysteria is more and more convincing that they were capable of making these purchases a long time ago. Unfortunately, they chose not to make them. Think of how much easier it would be to even make these purchases sooner if people had the mentality to prioritize being debt-free over being entertained.

Then we have the second group of the entitled who resent the hoarders because they are now unable to make the purchases they do in their daily routine of life. Whether it is bi-weekly, monthly or quarterly, many choose then as the time to make their purchases. Whether it is out of habit or being constrained to a budget; the timing is not always right.

The problem here is that have grown accustomed to convenience!

Let's look at the people who have a budget because you are my kind of people. You're smart! You planned out your spending. Brilliant!

May I ask a few questions?

• Were you living in a cave for the last two months as the news of this virus was spreading?
• Do you have a budget for other activities that could have been delayed to make room for extra purchases ahead of time?
• Do you really deserve to purchase those things you needed now when you refused to purchase them earlier?

My wife is brilliant. Every year as winter season approaches during school, for our three (3) little princesses, she purchases children's medication out of our budget for medicines. They were not sick at the time, but we knew that it would come in handy when the need arose. There were a few times we came close to exceeding our budget and once or twice, we did. Yet there was room to move finances around where we may have over budgeted (gas money).

• You can't prepare for unexpected illnesses!
• Medicine doesn't always stay well because they have expiration dates!
• People are hoarding the stuff we need and are price gouging!
• Penicillin is not readily available!

The last statement is the only one I will accept as a possible excuse. However, are stores being looted for penicillin or toilet paper, water, Clorox wipes and Lysol spray? The penicillin response is from too many movies. I will agree that a budget of medicine may not cover every illness, but we do know in which areas our families are prone to be sick.

Expiration on medicine would sound legitimate because it would seem like a waste of money. Let's go back to your earlier list of expenditures and pull from there things that could be deemed a waste.

Price gouging may be morally wrong but it is legitimately right for people to make a profit! They have the product and you have the need! Supply and demand! Ruthless but true! Look at the domain exploitation game! People are buying domain names to sell at prices way beyond reason.

Morally wrong, but legitimately right! You do not whine that your domain name, that works best with your business or passion, is priced too high. You either add that domain in the planning process of your endeavor or get creative with how you will function with another domain name. Same thing here with hoarders.

How long have you lived in your home or driven your car? You know that there are people who wish they had your home, car or both. By your logic, they are entitled to have what you have because you purchased them when they did not see the need!

Ouch! It hurts! Well, it will keep hurting if you keep refusing to see your own hypocrisy. You can reject what I am saying as my own immaturity. That's fine, but I am trying to prove a point. Okay, let's try it this way:

Sell your home for the value you purchased it without making a profit! Better yet, return any profit you have made in the last twenty (20) years!

If profiting is wrong for one person, it is wrong for everyone! "Not in an emergency!" you may clamor. Yet I ask, "Why not? And, which person on Earth has the authority to designate which areas are acceptable/non-acceptable to make a profit?"

There is a third segment of people in the midst of this madness who say, "I am going to trust Jesus!" Faith is important to me and it is where God wants us to be. But there are enough passages in the Bible where He has people preparing for worst case scenarios. Bible characters had dreams that drove preparation!

There is nothing wrong with trusting God. There is a problem in not taking advantage of the opportunities He gives us to be prepared! True introspection would show that "faith without works is dead!"

It's time for us all to re-evaluate how we are managing our time, talent and treasure! This recent tragedy has revealed that we are not as prepared as we assumed to be. Prayerfully, in the next crisis, we can be a beacon of light instead of a barrel of whine!