A week ago, I didn’t know how the Santa Ana winds worked. What caused them, what direction they went, or why they increased the risk of brush fires.

I didn’t know what constituted a fire hazard zone much less if I lived in one.

I didn’t know how our CERT responded to natural disasters.

In addition to the above, I didn’t know the best way to approach a loved one who may be addicted to drugs nor what rehab options are available.

But, thanks to FOUR major brush fires blanketing the areas surrounding where I live as well as the terrible news that someone I care about may be an addict, I now know these things.

At the start of this year, one of our cats got really sick. Before this happened, the extent of my kitty care knowledge was limited to filling a bowl and scooping a litter box. I’d never given an injection in my life. But, as one bad conditioned dominoed into another (and another), and it looked as if our cat might not survive, I found I had to learn.

By the time our kitty pulled through months later, I knew how to give pills to a cat, administer subcutaneous fluids via an IV, do an insulin injection as well as blend and inject food via either a neck tube or stomach tube.

None of this is stuff I had ever planned on learning but, because of crisis situations, I had to become a bit of an expert on each.

All of which makes me wonder if, perhaps, the key to becoming an expert in anything is to be truly scared of what might happen if you don’t.