by ki11ercane » Tue 30 Dec 2008, 22:04:57
Prepping for me has become the sh1t. Seriously. My life has drastically improved since I became PO aware. I've gone from Doomer to Prepper though, and they are two different animals. It's like being diagnosed with a late stage cancer. If you can survive it and make it out of stage 1, you're changed forever as a person. Some people hear the bad news and are stuck in Doomer Stage 4 cancer forever, and while they prep, they do waste time living. I think getting out of that mindset *IS* acceptance of your demise, however you're going to do everything you can to stave it off.
While I think Zombie Hordes, mauraders, and massive die-off are not in my lifetime (I am in my middle 30's), it will probably happen in my daughters lifetime and definitely in her children's lifetime. So far since I became PO aware in 2005:
1. I have paid off my house.
2. Eradicated myself of debt, 100%.
3. Bought a piece of land outside of the city. (about 25 miles out)
4. Stopped buying anything "crap" and concentrated on the things I need to live and not all the background noise garbage that will end up in the Goodwill Bin anyways. (That doesn't make me a hippie, that makes me a human. All this China Mart and Whest Buy sh1t is so disconnecting to mental health it ridiculous)
5. In the light of our current global financial situation, I am not panicked if things go south for my business; I AM PREPPED FOR IT.
6. I have learned new skills like gardening, basic mechanics, basic wood working (ie. building a shelter) emergency preparedness, (ie. vehicle and home) and I have gone back into hunting and shooting.
7. I don't have a problem being alone. I like me, I LOVE me. When the wife and daughter are not around, I am content to be by myself. Gives me ample ability to love the important people in my life a lot more. With a lot of background noise gone, this is a lot easier.
Why have I done all of this, and why am I ready for more?
Because for now, things don't seem to be improving in our first world society. You can give any reason you like. Peak Oil, bad social spending habits, climate change, whatever. The next 20 years will be far different and probably worse than the last 20. If you think doing nothing AND doing the same thing you're doing now is going to help you, it's not.
If you believe that everything is great, it's getting better and not worse, and you don't think you have to change anything "just in case," no amount of convincing is going to change your mind. And to be honest, I am GLAD that there are literally billions of people who think this way. More for me and my family if things go super south.