[thuja]

You all have probably heard the fable of the Ant and the Grasshopper. In the story, the winter's coming and the ant is busily spending the summer working hard and storing food. The grasshopper spends his days idly rubbing his legs and singing and playing all summer.

The Grasshopper says to the ant "Why spend your days working so hard? Enjoy yourself. Sit back and relax."

The Ant replies "While you're just spending your days making songs and relaxing under the sun, I am storing food for the long winter to come."

The winter arrives and the Grasshopper comes to the ant's home hungry and cold. He asks for some of the ant's stores. The ant looks at him and says

"When you had a chance to work and store food, you did nothing. Why would I help you now, when I have stored just enough for me."

The Grasshopper leaves and ends his days wishing he had not just played all summer long.


Now obviously this fable has some paralells for Peakoilistas. We may call ourselves Ants and the rest of the "Sheeple" grasshoppers. But I'm wondering- perhaps the life of the grasshopper is smarter. The winter that is coming is never going to end. Perhaps instead of spending every waking minute thinking about and preparing for The Long Emergency, it would be better to just give up...enjoy the good times we have now- drink up, eat at the best restaurants, fly to the Bahamas for that vacation, smoke the best cheeba, etc.

I'm an ant- but sometimes I wonder if I should be a Grasshopper...

[PeakOiler]

I posted this Aesop fable soon after I joined po.com.
I wonder if a search would turn up that old post?
The link I gave probably doesn't work anymore. Just browse the web using keywords "The Ant and the Grasshopper" and I'm sure you'll find variations of the fable.

I'm a cross between the Ant and the Grasshopper!


Edit: Here ya go:
Ant & Grasshopper Post

[Aaron]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', '"')When you had a chance to work and store food, you did nothing. Why would I help you now, when I have stored just enough for me."

The Grasshopper then snips off Mr. "Smarty-Pants" Ant's head, & enjoys the Ant's home & food all winter long.

[chakra]

The power went out for 2.5 hours yesterday here where I am. Even with my awareness of the things to possibly come, I'm still painfully unprepared.

My sump pump is a huge issue, and during those few hours I closely monitored the level of water building up. A few years ago we had a power outage and my basement started to flood. I've been repeatedly telling myself that I need to figure out some system to manually pump water out, without having to resort to buckets, but still it's not done.

I've been meaning to get a wood stove, so I have a means of heat and a way to cook and boil water if needed. Instead I sat for those 2 hours listening to my crank radio, wondering how the hell I would of cooked my food or boiled water.

If these events happen quicker then many of us suspect, I think even many of us here might get caught with our pants down too. Three months of food in my basement isn't even close to being prepared.

I guess that makes me more of a grasshopper then an ant. I'm hoping to find the ant in me soon though, but that's what I said last year.

[underdressed]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('chakra', 'T')hree months of food in my basement isn't even close to being prepared.

[Fredrik]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('thuja', 'P')erhaps instead of spending every waking minute thinking about and preparing for The Long Emergency, it would be better to just give up...enjoy the good times we have now- drink up, eat at the best restaurants, fly to the Bahamas for that vacation, smoke the best cheeba, etc.

I'm an ant- but sometimes I wonder if I should be a Grasshopper...

[steam_cannon]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('chakra', '[')u]My sump pump is a huge issue, and during those few hours I closely monitored the level of water building up... ...Three months of food in my basement isn't even close to being prepared.

[chakra]

Thanks for the suggestions Steam. I too noticed that little problem while I was writing the original post. I do have all the food stored higher up on resin shelves though.

I've been meaning to find information on low powered pumps that could possibly work with much less power then a 1/8th horsepower sump pump. Maybe a small solar panel and a small pump could do the trick, or maybe some kind of foot pump. I really don't know the answer to that question yet.

I didn't know there were fuel types that burn without leaving harmful fumes. If you burn alcohol indoors it's safe? Can you buy alcohol heaters? That might make a great substitute for a wood stove in a pinch. Thanks for the suggestion.

I do have the money to make the preparations needed. I'm just being very careful because I've been very strongly focused on paying down all my debts instead. I'm now debt free with only 45 months left on my mortgage but this kind of focus doesn't leave tons of money for huge overhauls.

Thanks again for the tips.

[Madpaddy]

Chakra,
I'm just a bit confused. My first priority in your case would be to move to a house where I wasn't relying on a mechanical device to stop my house from being destroyed.

On the heating side. You can get a flueless indoor gas heater which can be useful. We have one and it has been a life saver on cold nights when a powercut has hit.

[chakra]

Sorry, when I wrote my first response I used the word flood, which is a pretty strong word. I do get extra water in my basement which is diverted to a pool which is drained by a sump pump. Most of the year though, the sump pump is barely active at all. It's just during the spring when the snow is melting where you might see some build up, but nothing even remote to destroying the house.

The basement used to be dungeon like, and a little water didn't matter. Since then I've finished off the basement though, so I just don't like the over spill getting the bottom of the walls wet downstairs.

I live in the middle of the Great Lakes and there's a ton of water surrounding this area. Even many newer homes use drainage because of the abundant water in this area. At least I'm lucky enough to not have to worry about fresh water. I could buy a home that wouldn't require drainage, but this house is almost paid off. I figure spending some money to fix these problems would be a better solution then getting myself in debt again, especially when a crisis can be closer then first imagined.

Thanks for the suggestion on the indoor gas heater, I googled some and the propane gas heaters look interesting, especially since propane keeps for a long time under pressure. Once I get closer to paying this house off though, a wood stove is the way I want to go (since the fuel source is more abundant around here).

[NEOPO]

Hmmm first came the tents and bug out basics, then books and seeds, then some nicely secluded acreage mostly wooded.

Followed by communication breakdown, you know how the ants sometimes wonder off or seem uninterested, then all the tiny cracks of insincerity began to show while the S.S. antvillage went down in magnifying glass induced flames.

Number one suggestion for the "army" ants and Mantai in the crowd, do not choose companion ants just because they are relative or friendly ants etc etc find other ants already doing what "army" ants do and then maybe invite your family and friend ants.

Some ants appear like "army" ants but are really just Piss Ants.
Some of us are neither...
Mantis

[steam_cannon]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('chakra', '
')I didn't know there were fuel types that burn without leaving harmful fumes. If you burn alcohol indoors it's safe? Can you buy alcohol heaters? That might make a great substitute for a wood stove in a pinch. Thanks for the suggestion.

[steam_cannon]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('chakra', 'T')hanks for the suggestions Steam. I too noticed that little problem while I was writing the original post. I do have all the food stored higher up on resin shelves though.

[steam_cannon]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('thuja', 't')he Ant and the Grasshopper.

[steam_cannon]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Madpaddy', 'O')n the heating side. You can get a flueless indoor gas heater which can be useful. We have one and it has been a life saver on cold nights when a powercut has hit.

[Madpaddy]

Steam_Cannon,

Haha, I have the heater on the left, the nice old style one. My cooking is also from bottled gas cylinders. 8 cylinders should last me about 4 years. How long do these cylinders remain viable anyone???