in an emergency evacuation would you take your dolls?

I recently just had this conversation with my sister, sort of. I told her that if the house was to catch fire. I'm grabbing my dolls. They're the most important thing in the house, to me, that can't carry themselves.

 

This is a tough question because I am definitely one who attaches my stuff to my identity. My heart goes out to anyone who has found themselves in that terrible spot. Some truly gutwrenching stories in this thread. My sister-in-law's fiance and his family lost their home in Fort McMurray as well, and with it, almost everything they owned.

I imagine, in the moment, your priorities become clear. My situation would be simpler than a lot of others here as my husband and I do not have children, pets or any important medications. As others have said, "the house is on fire!" or "you have 10-30min to get out!" are two different situations. If we truly had to be out of the house in <10s, it would have to be the laptop bag containing all our paper records and ID, and my purse by the door, and hopefully one or both of our cell phones. ...Hopefully shoes, too.

If I thought I had just five more seconds, I would desperately try to grab a certain favourite doll as well, because his character has been through a lot and he especially represents to me that I can survive more than I give myself credit for... and one of my guitars; which was a gift from my dad and which I would be able to play to comfort myself over the loss of everything else. Both of those items are replaceable in the physical sense, and I would eventually come to terms with their loss, but if I managed to save them it would bolster me mentally.

We already try to keep some food and water, a change of clothes and coats in the truck, more as a vehicle of spontaneity than symptom of paranoia, but if there was still time for one more trip to the house, I would grab our portable trail barbecue (you can use fire to charge your phone!) and some additional jugs of water and food. The rest depends on the nature of the disaster, because a few hours away is an off-grid cabin that has everything we could need. If that were wiped out and there were some sort of inclement weather situation, my priorities would change again. If my horses were currently nearby, another change.

I mean, sure, if I had more time I would keep going back for more; in the order of dolls, instruments, my computer tower, favourite/rare record albums, even the turntable if I could manage it. But as others have said, possessions are for the most part replaceable luxuries, much as we may try to deny it, and it all comes down to the survival of the ones you care about.

 

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This is a pretty interesting question. As someone who lives in the desert, every other summer you get a flash fire scare when some jerk throws their cigarette butt out onto the dry grass by the highway, and it starts a fire that spreads across acres and acres of land - so I've thought about this, personally. I am answering assuming that I have been aware of the threat, and am given a 10-30 minute warning time to be gone from the house (as this has been my personal situation with the summer fire controls).
I went through a period of my life where I thought a lot about materialism and how much worth something can really have, and I eventually decided that, at least for myself, sentiment and emotional attachment are very valuable, even if it is to material items. So there are a few things I'd grab because they are important to me, and dolls undoubtedly make that list. The passion and love that I feel for this hobby mean a lot to me, and my dolls are more important than the surface value of their material. I'm sure that, in this situation, loading up and leaving would be an adrenaline-pumped state of organized panic but, when everyone is safe and the threat is far away, I'm sure I'd be glad that my dolls are safe too.

 

I just had to evacuate due to Hurricane Harvey. I packed all my dolls and took them with me just in case. Thankfully our house wasn't damaged badly, just some fence and siding damage. I had to throw them into whatever box I could find and hope for the best since I didn't have much time to pack. They all survived without a scratch though...

 

Oh wow, purplepaws! I'm glad you (and the dolls) are safe! Good luck with the aftermath.

Ryuichi

 

@Ryuichi Sakuma 13 Thank you so much. We were lucky compared to a lot of other people. It was still a pretty scary experience.

 

Well, I can definitely update this... I haven't had to evacuate yet but we're stuck in the house due to Harvey. If I had to be taken out via boat I wouldn't take my dolls, but if we would have evacuated by truck I absolutely would have.

 

I hope everyone impacted by Harvey stays safe! Safety first, dolls later...

I guess taking the dolls would depend on the emergency and how much time we had. I have a baby and three cats, so as much as I love my dolls, taking care of them obviously comes first. If I had enough time, I would grab my favorite art dolls...

 

I'd most likely have room for one of my dolls, and I would probably take Bermann, my grail. I'd care more about making sure my animals were safe first.

 

so much of this depends on the circumstance. I have two children and two dogs, so obviously those are the priority. It would depend a lot on how much time I have, and where I'm going. I really would like to take all my dolls though, it would be so sad to just say good buy to 10 years of collecting

 

I wish I could takexmy favorite one but to be honest I don't think I can do it realistically..

 

Yes, my dolls would probably be one of the first things I took. They are definitely worth the space, as I paid so much for them. Beyond that, they provide comfort and relieve anxiety, which would be helpful in a time like that.
Even before them though, would come my 2 bunnies (basically my children) and my $2000 computer. I also have an iPad, laptop, and a few sentimental items I would prioritize. Clothes would be a lesser issue for me. Take whatever I can shove into a bag.
Dollies are much too important to me

 

First off, I just wanted to say I'm so sorry to hear about what has happened to you. It must've been terrible, and I truly hope things are better off for you now.

As for my dolls, I would first and foremost make sure my parents and my dog are safe. Of course I would also need to take the time to pack my dog's necessities. I would for sure save my dolls if I had time, but it wouldn't be as important as saving my family (doggie included!).

 

I honestly would. This might be an incredibly depressing answer- but considering dolls are the most expensive things I own, and easier and less space consuming than say a TV or a computer, I would take all of my dolls. I would likely sell everything I could bare to part with afterwards to get back on my feet most likely. It's sad to think about, and I'm certain at first I'd take them purely out of love, but I'm also certain afterwards I'd have to find some means to make money off of damages (assuming the fire/disaster actually ended up destroying or damaging my home).

My important documents is only one small folder, and we have no pets. So I'd likely grab my dolls, some clothing, photo albums and anything of sentimental value which is mostly just cheap/fake jewelry and small toys from my childhood.

 

We had a tornado scare recently. In that time, I grabbed my essentials, (wallet, with cash, and ID, hand lotion (my skin is really sensitive) lipbalm (same reason) my laptop and my 2DS (since I had it in my hands)) and looked back at my dolls hoping they wouldn't be destroyed. I didn't have TIME to grab them, it was run into the basement NOW.

If I had a solid few minutes? Throw them all into a bag. Screw the props, screw special furniture. Throw them into my duffle and run.

My dolls are part what keeps me sane. But the most important things I grabbed were my lines of communication. Luckily it didn't touch down but it was scary to look back on and realize I could've lost my dolls.. And knowing that if it came down to it, yeah I'd be willing to have to try to get them again if it was my life or them. My life and my family's life is more important.

edit: Actually... Come to think of it, in 2013 we had a similar scare and I had to run down into the basement when I was home alone and had to leave everything upstairs except my laptop because it had all the important info and I didn't have time. I waited until the alarms stopped going off and then went upstairs. My neighborhood was in the eye of the storm.

 

If I knew for sure that my family, both human and animals were already safe and had time, I would definitely grab dolls, one or two plushies and two My Little Ponies that I've had since I was five. What can I say, I'm still a kid at heart. My dolls are very therapeutic and some days are one of the only things that help keep me stable, so I'd be pretty lost without them.

 

Interestingly, this came up with a person I know recently. She has about 4 dolls, 2 of whom she adores massively. The evacuation alarm went off when she was in the shower. So, apparently, she put on some semblance of clothings and then dashed down a bunch of stairs

And, know, thinking about it, I should prepare a trunk, just in case. I have a lot of precious things I really need and I don't think I can dash out quickly enough if I try to pack them last minute

 

Hmmm i was thinking about this question many times before i read this topic. I bought a special bag just for my dolls, to put them away very easy and just go. I have only 5 dolls and they are my all things. Of course i have some clothes and a PC, sewing machine... but have no pets, car, or own house etc. and i living alone. If i lost my dolls i will have nothing... So i really would choose that my dolls comes with me.

 

I commented on here before that it was conditional based on how much time I had.
However, being in Houston and packing in case of evacuation and waiting over a couple days to see if I'd have to leave because of Harvey, I can now say no, no I wouldn't pack my dolls at all. Lol