Who does what, now, how?

We have a guest article to start our Memorial Day weekend. Marian Beddill has a philosophical fable for us to read and, she hopes, post a comment. 
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Our biggest problem about getting along was figuring out who would do what, among all the things that had to be done, now that our life had suddenly changed. Changed for all of us. Changed drastically. Unplanned changes. 

They were about a thousand people. Everybody knew that they had to eat, and they had to get good drinking water. The ocean is a great resource for some things, and a great danger because of other things, like storm waves and tsunamis. But you cannot drink the salty ocean water, so they had to find fresh water (and hope that it was clean enough to safely drink - they’d know soon enough if it was not clean!) 

For food, somebody could probably catch some fish, or grab turtles and crabs. Maybe even somehow get ahold of one of the birds that were overhead (probably while it was perched on a limb or on the ground.) But meat has to be cooked, right? Or, wait, maybe it does not always - the Japanese eat raw fish, don’t they? How do you tell if THIS chunk of fish is OK to eat raw, while THAT chunk is not? I didn’t know. Maybe somebody does. They should share the info, so we will have a better chance at survival. 

Survival. We have to hope to survive this. At least until we get found. If we ever do get found at all? But even that was not certain - what had happened in other places? Was this - our predicament - an isolated case, or had this—- this—- this thing—happened to others, too? No way to know. The radio was silent, except for some crackling sounds. So no way to tell if there was nobody else, or if our own instrument was busted. 

At least it was warm enough now, so that being outdoors (since there were no doors, and no roofs, and no walls) was not terrible. But we knew what comes after September! So there would be a need for finding some shelter for the colder, stormier months. Those of us who thought about basic life things knew that the essential bodily human needs are for water, food, warmth and shelter - probably in that order. 

So for shelter, we had about six weeks or so to either find some shelter already made, or build it for ourselves. What did the ancient peoples do? Caves? Tepees? Tents? Thatched huts? Yeah, all of the above, so we needed search parties for looking for resources. Find places to sleep. Find water. Find food. And when you find it, come back and tell us all about it - don’t hoard it for yourself! 

What would I do, if I hit upon a great resource for these needs, while out scouting? Would I keep it a secret - or share? 

But how did we get into this situation, anyway? So many questions. 

There are about a thousand of us. We were all passengers on the boat, headed for a cruise around the continent. At least, I think that everybody here was a passenger. No way to be sure except by asking everybody - but that is mostly irrelevant, until we have life’s basic needs taken care of. 

It must have been about 4-o’clock in the morning - maybe a bit later, and I was sound asleep in the bunk. 

I suddenly woke up, and the top of my head hurt. I realized a second later that it hurt because it had been banged against the wall at the end of the bed. How could that be? Then, within a minute there were all kinds of strange sounds - banging, screeching, yelling, horns beeping, crying,—and once in a while a horrendous deep boom! Explosions? We never knew. 

I grabbed shirt and pants, and got them halfway on while I headed out the door into the corridor. Dozens of others there, in the same state of shock, wonder, worry, mystery, And, for a few, aggravation—a few guys were bitching at being awakened so early. I kinda sensed that this was not some bosses’ decision, that one could file a complaint about. It was a—- what? a crash? —a collision?—an attack? Impossible to tell, but the important thing right then was - What to do?

After that, things for the next hour were a blur. Moving down the corridor. Hearing strange sounds and incoherent yelling. Movement that was not normal. Smells. Smoke? Must be smoke! Danger! Smoke! Gotta get up to the top and get some air! Air! Gotta breathe!!! Gotta bre….......

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Then I opened my eyes, and it was deadly quiet. I was breathing heavily, but I WAS breathing. I pinched my leg, and I felt the pinch. If you are dead, can you feel pinches? Probably not, but who knows? I looked to the side, and I saw trees. And a beach. I was lying on a beach. Vaguely, I had flashes of fragmented memory—of movement—of pushing—of what seemed like falling but it really wasn’t—it didn’t all seem to fit or make sense. But never mind the history - I’d get to that later. 

I seemed to be alive, but was I injured? Hesitatingly, I started trying to move body parts. Fingers. Check. Wrists. Check. Arms. Check. Neck. Check. I hurt, but things seemed to be working. Slowly, carefully, I started to try to get up. 

I could now hear other sounds around me. The surf. A few voices in the distance. Moans and the occasional yell. There were other people here. Wherever the hell “Here” was. 

I stood up slowly. It was dark - or nearly dark. A bit of moonlight. Then I was dizzy. 

It felt like something was banging on my chest, and I swatted at it. But there was nothing there. I looked down. Nothing there. I put my hand on my chest where I had felt - was still feeling - the banging. I was still dizzy. But bit by bit, I realized it was my heart beating. Beating hard. Like happens to you when you’re in danger and frightened, or exhausted after strenuous exercise. 

Fading back to reality, I guessed I might be in danger And I must be exhausted. Whatever had happened, it took a toll on my body, but not the final toll. I had survived. I was alive. 

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That had been two days ago. Were were still thirsty and hungry, but had been surviving on some fruits, and a few little chunks of raw fish. A rainshower the first day had probably been our salvation - we captured cupfulls and half-pints in hats, coconut shells, and wet shirts. 

I had slept on the ground, with a couple of palm fronds over me as makeshift blankets. Not good, but better than nothing. After all, there was no concierge to complain to. About like the backwoods camping that we had done, voluntarily, back when we were younger and tougher and maybe dumber (uhhh, say “less smart”, please.) 

So now were into the third day, and it was clear that we had to take action, to keep up our survival. We knew that the essential bodily human needs are for water, food, warmth and shelter - probably in that order. (Oh, I already said that. Well, don’t fuss - they are the true basic needs for living creatures, and that’s what we were now - creatures in the wilds.) 

So we started talking about getting ourselves those survival resources. How do you talk to a thousand people, scattered over a long distance on the shoreline and a few up the slopes, mauka of most of us? No phones or internet. Small groups formed just because they happened to be in the same little spot. (The same “neighborhood?) I guess that fits, yeah - our neighborhood. So we were talking about what to do, and how to best do it. Talking, but not enough doing. 

It felt to me like (when I could think clearly) that we needed to share tasks and duties. A few to look nearby for stuff. Some others should look farther away. in the sunrise direction. And another bunch towards the sunset - and who can go uphill a ways? We needed some organization. 

That’s it. Success depends on being organized. I used to know that, but in a totally different set of circumstances. Back in daily life, in Phase “A” (before this, which is now Phase “B”), we each belonged to many groups. Clubs, Associations, the business, the City, etc. So, we knew the value of being organized. Belonging to organizations. Joining organizations so we would belong. But there’s a difference now - there are no organizations. Nothing is set up to participate in. 

And that’s when my experience in civic work dawned on me. Duhhhhh! Of course!

We need a structure for doing things. We need a way to have some folks do stuff that benefits both themselves and everybody else. We need a way to have some folks make sure that all the things that need to be done, are getting done. And we need a way to decide just what needs to be done - then a way to get somebody to do it, even if it seems like hard work or not their favorite thing. The end, survival, will not be gained if everybody just picks the blackberries and the low-hanging fruit on those trees. We gotta cooperate. Aha! That’s what that word means - “co” and “operate” - operating together. 

We need a government! Gotta get people to agree to ways to manage these things. 

Those two guys that had been yelling in the corridor about being woke up so early, had been standing together at the edge of the beach, yelling at somebody about something—didn’t seem to make much sense. And surely didn’t get me a drink of water - or dinner. 

We got to “form a government”. Agree that certain folks will be in charge, and others will go out and do the jobs that need to be done. 

So the first things that this little bunch that had been talking decided to do was…..............

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[ Now you, gentle reader, finish the story. The first things to do are to ...................? ]