Dear Mr. Rawles,
First, I want to thank you for the work you do and the time and effort I know it takes to provide all of us the wealth of resources and information you do. I have been steadily preparing for bad times only for the past two years. Prior to that, my family and I were all about the “Good Times” – Working for the weekend, staying tuned into the television shows, enjoying the “American” way of life.
I became involved in stock market trading a few years ago and took several classes with a gentleman who woke me up to the coming collapse and recommended your Patriots book. I freaked for a while, began planning and purchasing for an economic collapse. My family members began giving me “the look” when I tried to talk to them about these things. Even dear husband and kids would roll their eyes when helping me unpack groceries or bringing in packages from UPS.
Reading “One Second After” helped put things on a personal level for me and my family while at the same time, freaked me out even more. My family did help me build the chicken coop, put the family garden in, plant fruit trees and vines, cart the old pot-belly stove home from my dad’s old shed and even recently helped with a redesign of the closets and unused, unfinished spaces of our home to aid in storage, but gave each other the rolling eyes while doing it. Last October, when I went off to the medical training mentioned in your site, they chuckled at my “girls weekend” and wanted to know why I needed to learn to put a cast on someone. They complained about attending an Appleseed shoot last year–although they have enjoyed learning to shoot. It wasn’t really until dear husband recently subscribed to NetFlix and I put the Jericho television series into our queue that I finally got through to them though.
The first DVD came, I asked who wanted to sit down on a Friday night to watch with me and got no takers. Within the first 10 minutes, though, the entire family was lined up on the couch. We watched all of the first four episodes on that disc that night and the kids were begging us to get it in the mail so we would get the next one. While the acting and some of the scenarios were a bit over the top, the point was repeatedly driven home of how essential it is to be prepared for these times. My teenage daughter remarked to me the other night how she now understands what I have been doing and that I’m not completely crazy! Bringing home shopping bags and unpacking, the kids now ask “Cupboards or Armageddon Closet?”
The rest of our family still responds how “God will take care of them” and refuse to prepare, spending time and money as if it will continue to always be there. This saddens me and I continue to prepare for them as well, hoping I am wrong and they are right, but knowing in my heart and mind, it is coming. I don’t think I will ever be prepared enough, but know that with each passing week, my preparations are steadily getting better and better. My husband and children are prepared for crisis both away and at home. Watching the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, the kids gave me their scenarios for what they would do if that happened here. How many 10 and 12 year olds think like that? I don’t want my children growing up afraid of the future – if they are properly prepared, the fear is replaced with confidence. Again, thank you for your service to the preparedness community and to your many followers who supply the awesome advice and information. God Bless, – Carolyn C.