Hugh,
I just had to respond to this dear woman’s story. I don’t remember the last time—if ever—that I have been so moved by the example of another person’s courage, grit, and determination. This lady has the inner toughness that once belonged to the quietly heroic pioneer women, without whom I doubt that this country could have been successfully settled, and without whom our country’s history would be far less colorful. Lucky are those who are M.B.’s friends and neighbors; when the challenging, chaotic days arrive, she will be a true asset—as will her daughter through her tutelage. I wish that I had a few neighbors liker her myself. May God continue to bless her and her daughter, always. – D.M.
o o o
HJL,
The article written by “M.B.” is quite well done, and makes a lot of sense for anyone looking to prepare, not just single mothers.
I would make some comments in support of her situation.
First and foremost, the most important issue is that she has the right mindset, regardless of how far along in her preparations she is. Even if she doesn’t necessarily have the necessary equipment or knowledge for a specific situation, the fact that she’s thinking about the larger picture and her willingness to figure out what to do will stand her in good stead.
Second, she’s working with a few trusted people, so she’s not going it alone. No one can do it all by themselves, and having others to fall back on will serve her well.
Third, and this is a topic dear to my heart as a former educator, she and her daughter are doing all kinds of learning “outside the system.” Having taught in the University of California system for a short while, it never ceased to amaze me that the vast majority of my students never read anything beyond the reading required for their courses, and that, as often as not, they’d forget what they’d read almost immediately after their classes. As the old saying goes, “Knowledge is Power,” and the less of it you have, the less capable of dealing with the world you are. The best thing you can do is acquire as much information from as many sources as possible, to give yourself options in a variety of situations, both expected and unexpected.
Please keep up the good work, and keep publishing articles like this. – GRS