I don’t think preparing for the possibility that we could be visited by chaos and catastrophe this fall and winter is giving into the COVID panic. Sensible people prepare for life changing events—they buy life insurance, change the batteries in smoke detectors and keep their automobile gas tanks full.
Do we call those people preppers? We could because they are!
The media has over the years depicted preppers as those who take to the back woods, lugging water from a nearby stream, and killing game to eat which they cook over spits in the ‘yard.’ But there is a wide range of possibilities for how much you want to prepare, and some of it is completely sane and sensible.
I had no interest this morning in writing one more crooks and criminals post that will only serve to feed your news reading addiction, because today I’m working on my to-do list for being prepared.
And, hey, look at it this way. If conservative-minded people prep for the worst and the libs think the government is going to take care of them, guess who might survive riots, civil unrest and a pandemic. You guessed it!
I just started reading a great book (well, I’ve only read a few chapters, so shouldn’t prematurely call it great) entitled “Start Prepping” by Tim Young.
The author discusses something that keeps most people from moving when faced with immediate or longterm danger. He calls it ‘normalcy bias.’ He lists several examples of where people died because their brains just couldn’t go there—that they were in danger of being killed—and so they did nothing.
Case in point….
I recently read a novel about the Titanic and subsequently read a non-fiction book on the horrific sinking of the unsinkable ship.
The ship (on its maiden voyage!) sank in about two hours and 40 minutes from the time it struck an iceberg in the north Atlantic until it went down.
Initially the captain and officers didn’t think it was possible that they would lose the whole ship and many passengers did not move to lifeboats (there weren’t enough anyway) continuing to play cards and otherwise entertain themselves as normalcy bias overcame them. At least 1,500 people went down with the ship.
Bad things do happen in history, after all, Rome fell, Nazi Germany nearly conquered all of Europe, the Twin Towers fell, is it so far-fetched that we are due for some rough times.
Heck we have had a little taste of it already.
Six months ago would you have dreamed that millions would lose their jobs and fat women would be punching each other in the aisles of supermarkets over toilet paper?
So what is the downside of learning how to protect your family? A few people might think you are nutty—so what!
I suggest you stop reading this post, and look for a few good books and then head out to the grocery stores near you that are (still) open and begin getting in the things you would hate to live without even for a brief time—coffee maybe?
But, don’t forget water! Author Tim Young says it is the most vital commodity for surviving even a few days. Those of you living on ‘city water’ could find your water supply suddenly shut off for myriad reasons.
And, so what if you spend some time preparing, get in some food, water and other supplies and thank God nothing out of the normal happens later this year, then you can enjoy a few less shopping trips over the winter, eat some of what you have stored, and spend the extra free time on your political news reading addiction instead!
Finally, are you an ant or a grasshopper? Aesop figured this out, oh, about six centuries before Christ. Of course, one big difference now is that the ‘grasshoppers’ of today are mean SOBs often with weapons. But that is another thing you need to be prepping for!
Thank you Ann. I agree that normalcy and complacency will allow the thugs to take over. I would not only argue to prepare but also prepare to get involved.
Love this post. More like it, please, if you can.
https://www.shtfblog.com/about/ –
My sibling, at 83, has been preparing for when the s$&! hits the fan for many years, mainly in reference to hurricanes and power outages. She loves the SHTF website. She lives “in the country.” As a suburbanite, I’ve always expected Publix and Wal-Mart to just be there! At 70, I’ve waited a little too late for long term prepping. If we lose power, internet and phones, I’ll be pretty isolated. Ann, glad you’re encouraging your readers to prepare: build, buy, stock, save and train in self subsistence, health care, and defense. I cannot neglect spiritual preparation for Eternity, either. Yep, cling to your guns and Bible! This life ain’t the End!
Thanks for mentioning us, Marilou. I don’t know your sibling, but I love her, too!
Ah, thank you so much for the “be prepared” warning! I’ve been talking with friends about massive chaos that will likely happen when the election results are delayed for days or weeks, while progressives keep finding more mail-in votes. But I didn’t think that the chaos might touch me! Ha!
I’m fortunate in that I have physical space to store essentials, which I will now stock up on… including cat food!
I’ve been protected living here in the foothills in NW Reno Nevada, but recently, even we had a mob doing damage to our city hall in downtown Reno while our police clearly had a stand down order.
FUN ITEM: This past month, a bus (or buses, not sure how many) filled with a “Black Lives Matter” mob arrived in Carson City Nevada to trash the Capital Buildings. As they disembarked the bus, they were met by a large gathering of “All Lives Matter” folks. Nevada is a legally concealed carry state and everyone there in the All Lives Matter group was ready to “properly” greet the mob. However, the BLM mob quickly got the message and got back on their bus and left. Hey everyone, Carson City has a good standard of living and has been recommended as a good place to retire to…!
I keep enough food on hand to live a couple months, have a water purifier, and live in an area where I can feed myself year-round if it comes down to it. Plenty of gear, of course, but all that stuff is easy. My biggest Achilles heal is the ability to stay warm in the winter, as I am 100% dependent on electricity. Neighbors have fireplaces, but I hate to rely on anybody for anything. I’ll probably stock some more food, but it has long been my opinion that these guys who stock a year’s worth of food are dreaming if they think they’ll be allowed to hunker down for that long. Odds are you will have to mobilize and then what? Haul a year’s worth of stuff in a backpack? Better learn how to take care of yourself.
Here’s a great little tool you can get for $11.00—these can help you keep your body fueled, even in an urban environment, and maybe even kill boredom:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Edible-Wild-Foods-Playing-Cards-NEW-Sealed-52-cards-chain-Linda-Runyon-camping/303045512309?hash=item468eeb8c75:g:VVsAAOSwaPNcUdkb:sc:USPSFirstClass!47421!US!-1
I agree, sad to say, that if it gets that bad we are dead anyway (well, most of us)! Oh, one more thing. Some of the experts suggest not telling your neighbors that you are stocking up because they will be the first at your door looking for your stuff! (Especially if they are libs!)
Excellent read!
Gunfight at the O.K. Corral 2020
5 Jun 2020
by Yaacov Apelbaum
“Several years ago our family decided to drive Route 66. Instead of finishing at the Santa Monica Pier, we opted for the southerly route and took a left-turn in Arizona. I cranked up the radio and to the tune of It’s another Tequilas Sunrise, headed into the burning desert sunset; final destination: Tombstone. I chose this destination as an educational aid for the kids, because this long-forgotten dusty town holds one of the most important civic and practical political science lessons that every American citizen should learn.”
More here:
https://apelbaum.wordpress.com/2020/06/05/gunfight-at-the-o-k-corral-2020
….”citizens are not obligated to submit to the government when its ineffective in suppressing anarchy. “
Battlefield Antifa – Part 1 & 2
https://youtu.be/cTVlX77rQno
https://youtu.be/zyx7A5B38Qc
You need to repost this massage about normalcy bias.
Okay, I can do that.