that's the lesson of the Japan and Christchurch disasters for me - what's on your person is your first line of defense, and may end up being your only defense, when you've got only seconds or minutes to react.

earthquakes and tsunamis happen in an instant, and luck plays a big part sometimes. we should know what dangers are lurking where we live, work and visit, and we should learn how to take care of ourselves when they happen. how many times this winter alone have we heard about people being stranded in snow storms?

planning ahead, re-evaluating how you reacted in previous situations, evaluating what others have done - in other words, thinking things through - is so important.