“Sometimes even to live is an act of courage.”

Lucius Annaeus Seneca Roman Stoic
Philosopher and Statesman

Seneca died in AD 65, a time when life was rough even on a good day, so he knew what he was talking about. However, living a full life requires courage, but living through a disaster requires the courage to plan ahead. In this section, we consider the absolute basics for survival, which are water, shelter, fire, and food. A person can endure very difficult conditions as long as basic needs are met. Therefore, as Julie Andrews sang in The Sound of Music, “Let’s start at the very beginning, a very good place to start.”