It’s Pearl Harbor Day.  A day that should remind everyone that the sneak attacks that mess up your life can happen anytime…and from any source.

The day after Pearl Harbor was attacked, this nation set itself onto a war footing. This would lead to rationing, scrap drives, concentration camps for certain ethnic/racial groups, Victory gardens, shortages of staples like rubber, butter, meat, fuel, etc. In short, you went to bed on December 6 in a world that you were familiar with and one week later you were knee-deep in one of the 20th century’s most defining events.

The lesson? “It” can happen anytime. It can be Japanese torpedo bombers, a pink slip from your boss, a spot on your chest x-ray, a process server on your doorstep, that little stick turning blue, or a sudden sharp pain in your chest. The Pearl Harbor that catches you off guard and forever changes your life can look like a lot of different things. Might be a good idea to have some of your ducks in a row so that when it does happen (And it will, be assured) you’re not down for the count with just one punch.

Of course, if you are prepared, you can sometimes give back as good as you got…and then some.