You should always keep backups of your private keys, whatever happens to your wallet provider/computer/house you can always access your coins again.
ah ok so its the private keys that make the bitcoin uniquely mine?
The private keys are whats required to spend bitcoin and what wallets manage and hide for you. Nothing on a private key is tied to you as a person. If you show it to me, I can control your bitcoins same as you.
So lets say electrum disappeared (unlikely but who knows) as long as i have my private keys i could access them?
How would i go about doing that?
thanks
Yes, you can right click on an address in electrum, select "private key" and enter your password to let it show you. It will be shown unencrypted and in very common format (WIF = wallet import format) that is understood by almost all wallets.