It's been a while since I've posted on emergency preparedness; not because I've given up prepping, but because my spiritual compass has changed a good deal in recent months. So while I've been tossing around ideas for posts, I read a comment on a friend's blog that lead me to think about the current financial/moral/social/governmental state of the world in slightly different terms. Simply put: If the worst happens and this downturn becomes an all-out collapse, watcha gonna tell the kids?
When there's no food in the cupboards because you never bothered to put away some canned vegetables or dried beans, watcha gonna tell the kids?
When there's no clothes to be worn because you never learned how to sew or mend, watcha gonna tell the kids?
When there's no drinking water because the power is out and you didn't think water storage was important, watcha gonna tell the kids?
When there's no fresh meat to eat because the thought of hunting Bambi upsets your modern sensibilities, watcha gonna tell the kids?
When the LocalMart shelves are bare of necessities because the 'just in time' delivery system failed miserably, watcha gonna tell the kids?
Some of those questions sound harsh, but really, what would you say? What possible answer could you offer that would both ease your conscience AND make them forget their grumbly bellies or cold feet? When they look at you hungry, thirsty, cold, will you simply point to the big screen TV or the swanky new SUV parked in the driveway and tell them you had other priorities? When the coverage of the Greek meltdown came on the news, did you watch and think about it, or simply turn the channel? We're no different than the Greeks, and the uprising, riots, martial law they're experiencing could just as easily be our future. Next week, it may be us that you're watching on that 72 inch flat screen.
I hope this post isn't putting you on the defensive, but the offensive. Things are weird out there, friends and no matter how the media spins the news, no matter how the various czars sugar-coat their reports, joblessness is joblessness. Hunger is hunger. Homelessness is homelessness. And if you have children, *especially* if you have children, it's your responsibility to see them through these strange days. Hoping for an upturn accomplishes nothing, but growing food, storing water and learning practical skills can make all the difference. Ask a neighbor who lived through the 1st Depression. Ask a Katrina survivor. Ask a Gulf Coast resident. Ask a survivor from any of a number of genocides. Planning makes all the difference, sometimes between life and death.
This (Choose one-recession, slump, downturn) is hardly over and may very likely get worse before it gets better, so what are you waiting for? The bottom to drop out? Do what Ma Ingalls would do: prep that pantry, load up that larder and get ready. It takes a little time, a little money and a little effort, but you'll find great comfort in knowing watcha gonna tell the kids if the worst comes to pass.
12 comments:
That's EXACTLY why I prep...
Reminds me of the Proverb "she looks well to the ways of her household" and a few others in chapter 31! I'd say that a wise woman preps!
Proverbs 21:20
In the house of the wise are stores of choice food and oil, but a foolish man devours all he has.
Pete, excellent scripture! I'll remember that one!
My parents and grandparents went through the depression. They worked together with other aunts and uncles to farm a small piece of land and provide for the extended family. The great depression was a common item of discussion when I was growing up. I remember asking my parents why they didn't do something earlier to prepare. The response was that everyone thought it was just going to be a simple recession and no one ever thought it would last so long or get so bad. The simple fact is that is true today. At best this is the worst recession in my 67 years but at worst it is the beginning of a long and bad depression. Don't wait to prepare. Anyone of the 300 million U.S. residents could walk into your local grocery store today and buy a years supply of food. The food is there and prices are not high. Both of these things could change in the near future. Hope for the best but prepare for the worst.
Well put.
It's Ant and the Grasshopper time. Here's hoping you're an ant...!
Thanks for this reminder why... I'm trying to do what I'm trying to do! have a super weekend-
Andrea,your words are not nearly as harsh as putting your kids to bed hungry.In the last two weeks even politicians who were saying its over are now saying this could last a while.You know they try to sugar coat everything.So yeah its gonna be bad.Good post.
China
III
Great Post! Although we prep, these types of posts help me get into high gear. I emailed this post to my sister. She is starting to get motivated to prep.
Great post, Andrea! Thanks for the reminder. There may not be as much time as we would like to think.
Thanks everyone for the positive feedback...and all the great scriptures! It's great to know that there's such a large community of faithfull preppers out there.
OH girl! I've found a kindred spirit! I re-read the whole Little House on the Prairie set last year (I'm 32), and though I had read it about 8 times when I was younger, it still inspired me. I was always taken by the storage and food keeping passages. Oh...I can't wait to get started!! I won some canning lids off Homestead Revival a few weeks ago, and I CAN'T WAIT to use them:)
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