As our world and economy continue to change, I can’t help but wonder what is in store for my generation in our years to come. Interacting with my fellow peers, I realize many of them have no idea about what is going on in our world. Only within the past few years have I realized how under-prepared a majority of teens my age truly are. Whether it be a lack of education of world events or simply a matter of non-interest, it saddens me that my generation, “the leaders of tomorrow”, have little to no sense of preparedness. The world is changing rapidly, and the next generation must be prepared for the unthinkable.
Raised in a small town of approximately 15,000 people, I went from a public grade school to a public high school. My first interactions regarding preparedness and our uncertain future came about from my father’s personal interest in the matters. Starting at the age of about 15, I became fascinated with the idea of a post-apocalyptic world. No doubt much influence came from “zombie” based films directed at viewers my age. I started reading every fictional post-apocalyptic type novel I could get my hands on. I read everything from Stephen King’s The Stand [1] to Pat Frank’s Alas, Babylon [2], and I constantly pondered the idea of a total world collapse. Moving out of my “what if” stage to my “when” stage, I transitioned to non-fiction books based on preparedness. I read a plethora of survival/preparedness books from old army survival manuals to books on home food storage and off-the-grid lifestyles.
Ever since my interest in preparedness began, not a day goes by when I do not practice or learn new useful material. My interest in survival, preparedness, and protecting my future has changed my life in many ways, and I know it can change the lives of others my age. This interest has helped me obtain a healthy lifestyle in which I have proudly lost over 50 pounds and maintained my dream body ever since. My preparedness-based mindset has also kept me motivated and at my top level of performance, which dramatically improved my self-esteem, confidence, and performance in school and other activities. My views and preparedness-based lifestyle have also helped me obtain jobs and save money– a common weakness among my generation.
I would like to share some information with my fellow followers of SurvivalBlog, who will hopefully pass it on to their own children or grandchildren. I have noticed a majority of readers and posters of this great website are older, and I would like to see more support from younger generations. I saw an opportunity to possibly help my generation realize what is going on in the world around us and find interest in preparedness, as I have.
Influence
Parents and adults in positions of power arguably have a great influence on younger generations. It is easy to get your children involved in preparedness at young ages, and some material should present itself at different maturity levels. It is a great start in younger years to get children familiar with hands-on learning, such as the raising of livestock, food canning processes, firearm safety, home safety (natural disaster/intruder plans and actions), and similar areas related to preparedness. Remember, at younger ages the attention levels dwindle, so make sure to introduce new concepts in a hands-on learning environment. As the child ages and matures, introduce them to materials including fiction and non-fiction books involving world history, times of disaster, and world collapse. Forget the idea of a negative and grim outlook being programmed into children; rather give them a thoughtful and informed outlook. Chances are they will maintain interest in preparedness and the “what if” factor in life.
The teenage years are often a more difficult time for parent interaction, as this is when we are figuring out emotions and all that “fun” stuff. Remember as a parent to maintain a positive relationship with your child and allow them to have their own space and make their own decisions. Continue to ensure their interest in preparedness, and make sure they are involved in your own continuing interest and preparations. Have them help you work on your home preparedness. Take them to informative classes and out shooting, and also frequently practice and go over your personal disaster plans with them. Decide an appropriate age to introduce them to Internet websites to further their knowledge of preparedness topics. Obviously, they will be interested in certain topics more than others; remember that this is natural.
My intent of this article is for parents to get their children interested in preparedness and world events, and for the children themselves to spark interest among their peers. Remember to drill the concept into kids that your family’s preparedness is PRIVATE. Failing to do so could spark interest among your community and could cause trouble in the future. I would like to pass on some information about preparedness to people my own age. This is preparedness from the view of a teenager.
A Time Of Change
It may be hard to ponder, but our generation is the future. The next chapters of this great country will undoubtedly be greatly influenced by us. However, due to ever-changing world events, we do not always have control over what tomorrow brings. Fortunately, we do have the power to prepare for unthinkable and inevitable events. A small majority of the next generation is beginning to “wake up” to our changing nation and world. From natural to man-made disasters, our generation has seen what unimaginable and chaotic events happen in the world, and the worst is yet to come. A quick look at world news shows times of crisis all over, and deeper investigation brings forth a startling wakeup call. Our nation is approaching many possible disastrous events, and NOW is our time to prepare. Whether it is a devastating terrorist attack next week or a drawn out socio-economic collapse over the next few years, our generation will take the greatest blow. We will see the world change dramatically within our next 60+ years, and our generations before will just have caught the beginning of what is to come. It is no longer a question of “if” but rather “when”.
Beginning your preparations as a teenager is not as difficult or costly as it sounds. It is actually a better time to begin adapting, while you’re young, to a preparedness-based lifestyle. The target group this article is based on ranges from the ages of 16 to 19, but preparedness is a life-long tradition. You may be overwhelmed by the rapidly changing world, but you have the ability to ACT. A good foundation for a life-long follower starts with the right mentality. YOU and only you can decide where you go in life and how you react to situations, opportunities, and other people. Positive family lives as well as a strong belief in religion are great corner stones to success, as well as the belief in yourself. Needless to say, a large majority of our rebellious generation take part in activities strongly frowned upon. The use of drugs and alcohol as well as participation in crime are unfortunately very common in our generation. Do not stoop to these levels, as they will get you nowhere in life. Self-destruction and carelessness sweep across our youth and are passed along through peer pressure. STAY STRONG. Remember that your family relies greatly on you, and you are the future.
The next aspect of preparedness is physical capability. When a healthy lifestyle is introduced early, it is easily maintained throughout life. Sadly, obesity plagues the youth of our country, arguably due to poor parenting. Your physical health plays a major roll in your survival and preparedness. Some great ways to start a healthy lifestyle young are to acquire healthy eating habits as well as involvement in athletics. School sports are not only a great way to become fit and stay in shape, but are also great learning experiences regarding leadership, commitment, and teamwork. Some great activities to take part in regarding preparedness would be any type of self-defense athletics.
Another major part of preparedness is knowledge. There are countless books, videos, and other sources for learning preparedness information. Not one book covers everything, so make sure to learn all you can in various fields of preparedness. Some good places to start in teen preparation include food and water storage, medial/sanitation storage, healthcare, defensive skills (unarmed and armed), communication, and forms of heat and light. SurvivalBlog has an excellent reference list for you to start with. Learn all you can.