How To Prepare. And For What?

I am just going to put this out there. Shovel your walks people. This is the business next to us, a week after the storm.
I am going to share with you a bit of my thought process from the past few weeks. I tend to be a little pessimistic. But, I tend to call it realistic. I am not a doom and gloom type person. But, if you look at things realistically, things are not as tough right now as they will be. Does that worry me? No, not really. And maybe because I know what's next. My beliefs keep me from panicking. Fear and faith can not reside together.
Here's why I have been thinking about this. Trent has been busy at his work. Usually, they spend the first part of their year, stocking shelves. Basically, they make more than they need, so they will have excess for the end of the year, when welfare needs tend to go up. 2009 was really busy, 2010 was even busier. SO at the end of 2009, after their shelves were empty, and that lull never came so they could restock their shelves, Their cupboards stayed empty, and they couldn't and still can't keep up with demand. He has been working from 5:30 am until 3:30 pm, sometimes later. Still just keeping up (sometimes not) with demand. Yes, it's a good thing. it means the Church is helping people. Yes, he has job security. And if it were just this one thing, there would be no cause for concern. But you see, the food industry is having the same problem.
I was reading yesterday, that even food suppliers are in that "cupboards are bare, barely keeping up to demand" mode also. So what happens when they can no longer keep up? What then? Do you have your shelves stocked? Have you learned to grow a garden? DO you have water? Are you working on getting your finances in order? While interest rates are down, did you refinance your home to a 10 15 or even 5 year mortgage? Or is your house payment already too big, that a 15 yr would be impossible? None of my business, but something for you to think about personally. If we own our homes, we will have a roof over our heads, if there is a job loss.
I have always felt a sense of needing to be prepared. Sometimes it's an urgency. How do we know what to prepare for? Will we have electricity? Will gasoline even be accessible? Is your job within biking distance? I'm not sure what is to come. Maybe this is as bad as it will get. But I am not going to go with that optimism. So, if you can do nothing else. Or if you are way more optimistic than I am, at least learn to plant and preserve a garden. I heard Glen Beck say yesterday, I wont quote word for word, but something to the effect of the people in New Orleans that had money and gold, ended up in the same boat as everyone else. The people with toilet paper and water were the richest.