Apologies for the long absence, Folks. Aside from the day-to-day routine, head problems have been wreaking havoc with sounding alarm and prepping.
To whit...
We're all painfully aware of what's been happening in our country and around the world. There's not a person in America who isn't aware of what's happening on the political front, with the monetary system (even I, who knows nothing about money and banking and stock is aware of it), and the climate situation. And here has been a lot of my problem.
Everyone has been aware of what's going on. If not, how do we account for the tremendous leap in firearms and ammunition sales, for the dearth of MRE and dehydrated food supplies? How do we account for the humongous numbers of unemployed among us- even in the Prepper community? How do we account for the numbers of 'new' people who've been flocking to preparedness sites?
Yet in daily talks with people, there's no real alarm to speak of.
I've talked with people-- gently, so as not to come on too strongly about "you're all gonna starve to death" (or freeze or be mugged or eaten... or worse)-- yet the words fall on deaf ears. People just do not want to believe this kind of thing can happen in America! They just don't want to see it at all.
And it's created a temperament in me that says, "Screw them!"
Even family members have taken to (or still) ridicule me, and undoubtedly other preppers they know and it's taking its toll on my noggin.
So what's to be done about it? How do we convince them?
We don't.
It'd be easier converting an atheist to Christianity. Speaking of Christians, it's just as difficult to show them as well, They don't see what God is doing (which might show how strongly they believe?) or they come up with, "God won't let me starve (or die or whatever)." They're not seeing God is giving them the warning to prepare, as the old saw about God sending a boat, a Coast Guard crew and helicopter to rescue the stranded flood victim who turns all offers down because he's waiting for God to save him. And God says, "I sent you three opportunities."
Well, IMO God has given them the life boat, they're refusing to get on because they don't see Jesus walking on the water.
It's difficult to try rescuing someone who's thrashing about and pulling you under as well and I've about given up trying. No clubbing them on the jaw or over the head with a two-by-four or tossing them a rope. They'll just have to learn to swim and do it quickly.
Survival blogs are full of queries about, "How do I convince an unbelieving spouse?" Or friend or whatever... and responses are always to "go easy, don't frighten them, prep them on the sly until they get on board." Honestly, there is no easy answer, for sure, and maybe no answer at all until they see it happen, feel the hunger and smell the blood coming from their wounds.
None of us wants to see such happen to someone we love or know, if even to those we dislike, but it's a hard fact we have to face. We can lead the horse to water but we can't make it drink.
Negatives. Right. Negative thinking never got the floor swept, and is a hard mind-set to get out of. Still, have to try. Thank you for your patience and help.
Now...
Get that BOB loaded and carry it with you everywhere.
Now for some serious questions about how we're thinking in these days of growing danger. Let's get our mind-set right. (According to the Book of Survival, anyway.)
What are you thinking about your CCW situation? Are you not carrying because you don't have the permit? Are you not carrying a knife because it could cut someone? Are you afraid of being thought loony (hey- we live in Minnesota, we're all loony!) for carrying an umbrella (with concealed sword) because it isn't raining? Are you thinking you'll not be bothered by the punk gang member because you don't look like a victim? Are you thinking you look like an oddball carrying a BOB-backpack over the shoulder of your three-piece Gucci suit? (Does Gucci make suits?)
It's time to start thinking beyond the preps and thinking survival, of how far will I go to protect myself and loved ones? Just what will I do in a particular situation?
The next few posts from me (RW- keep it up, you're so good I love it and read you all the time, too!) I'm going to be letting you in on how I think in my preparations for keeping my carcass in one piece in nasty situations. Not that I'm an expert in it, 'cuz I ain't, but I'm certainly going to show you I usually think outside the box in that regard. If not outside the box, certainly outside the norm.
Of course, I am also assuming we've all done the basics: got the BOB ready, the arms cache filled to capacity, the car/truck/camper/boat (thanks RW) topped off and ready to roll.
We're going outside the house into the coming world where there are bad guys who really want to kill you. You know this because they've told you so. It's a world filled with distrust of every person you see, paranoia and confusion, riots and muggings and rapes and gang warfare. It's a world where even the big dogs walk softly and angels have better sense than to tread.
Bless God, God bless.
Shy III
Man, I totally agree, except what I'm getting especially in a lot of christian circles, is not that they don't believe, it's that they don't want to do anything about it. (maybe it's too overwhelming and they'd rather think about other things and just burry their head in the sand). My mom always tells me, "don't worry, let God deal with it." I respond to her, "That's not what God said, and I'm not worrying I'm getting prepared" I tell her "God commanded Noah to build an Ark and to get as many to come aboard who would listen" This is no different, teaching preparedness and teaching about preparedness is our "Ark" and we need to tell all who will listen. And those who don't listen, will find themselves swimming the day the door to the Ark closes.
ReplyDeleteOther thing I get from many of my fellow Christians is when I tell them of the NWO, Obama possibly being the precursor to the Anti-Christ, or the actual Beast himself, when I tell them about surveillance technology, micro chipping, the growing epidemic of police brutality and more...their response is: "Well, when things get bad Jesus will come and rapture us to heaven". I laugh at that response in disgust every time I hear it. I say: "Sure, I believe in the Rapture, and sure I Believe Jesus is coming." But I ask them: "How do you get off with such arrogance to think that Christians in this country will escape severe persecution as we near the end times? What about the hundreds of thousands of Christians in other parts of the world who have to worship in secrecy for fear of having their heads chopped off or Christians in China who are far more faithful than many of us, who each take one page of the bible with them because it's easier to hide in their socks for fear of going to prison for having a Bible." Most Christians in this country do not understand persecution and I think they are about to get a big wake up call, but then again, maybe they need it to separate the wheat from the chaff and to test people who are truly faithful to the word and not just "Playing" Christian.
ReplyDeleteAmen, Tom- and a topic well worth a bunch of posts, for sure. Might have to get more busy with those thoughts in Wolf Trax.
ReplyDeleteBless God, God bless-
Shy III
Shy, glad you are back!
ReplyDeleteI did go deer hunting, by the way... My brother let me use his scoped .308, so I didn't have to sight in my Russian. But I tested the Russian, and she works flawlessly... more on that in private.
I look forward to your new posts. I do have one comment, as I digest the T-day meal my mom cooked up here on the Canadian border: I am prepping as best I can, and will be my BOB together. But by and large, I've determined that it is far safer to stay where we are if/when the bad stuff goes down. I've gotten advice from a survival writer I like, and he writes that you NEVER want to be a refugee. I am working on hardening our place in the city, and being very ready to defend it. The biggest hurdle is the mental one, of course. Am I ready to use force to defend my family and home? My recent decision to get back into hunting was part of that, because if I'm not mentally able to take an animal's life, what chance have I?
I am very concerned about the fact that the large majority of people will NOT be prepared, as you point out. It will cause major trouble in city and country. In the city there will be more of the unprepared. In the country, they will have more cover to cause trouble. Just today, my brother and I were outraged to discover that the neighboring hunters had obviously trespassed on our land after we left during deer season. My brother's expensive game camera was gone. What happened, as near as we determined, was that they were trespassing while hunting, then realized they'd be caught on film. So they stole hundreds of dollars of my brother's equipment.
And this is pre-collapse!
I felt sad about this, because I suddenly realized that our fellow citizens, those who are sheeple, will be very dishonest and likely treacherous when they feel the pangs of hunger growing in their bellies.
So let her rip, Shy.
Not with a bang, but a whimper. BOB's are great if civilization in your area fails with a bang, but when it goes out with a whimper...slowly degrading over a long period of time with no identifiable crisis point, what will your BOB do for you then?
ReplyDeleteAnonymous 9.52...
ReplyDeleteI'm sure you keep insurance on your vehicle hoping to use it, too. Since you won't ever need it, you'd may as well save some money and drop those policies.
I'd rather have a BOB as insurance than not have one.
Shy III