Two Letters Re: The Skeptical Spouse

Mr Rawles,
I have shared the experiences of many with skeptical spouses. My solution has been a very gradual (and low-key) process of preparing and building up a basic supply of items/food in combination with education and hints of what was going on around us (local crime issues, Hurricane Katrina experiences, etc.). Again, she wasn’t too happy with my weapon and ammo purchases, but accepted it grudgingly. She began warming to the issue of “being prepared” with some of the bad weather in 2008, when she realized that as new home owners, we now had to solve our own problems. We also began to expand our larder from the perspective of “her convenience.” I then installed the safe to protect “her valuables” as well as my guns. However, “Snowmagedon” in January this year was her wake-up call, and I was far away overseas at the time. Every time she needed something (our young clueless neighbors as well) she went into the basement (my bunker-of-redundant-redundancies) and found what she needed. Granted, she was often surprised by what she found (when did you get that!?), but she ultimately needed it and was very thankful. She may still call me Burt Gummer and accuse me of preparing for the “Zombie Apocalypse,” but it is said in a much more affectionate tone of voice now .- J. in Conn.

Sir;
In my case getting my truly skeptical spouse of 13 years on board was easy: I gave her “Patriots” to read. She asked me many great, probing questions as she read it, often about terminology and the like. She was clearly deep into the story and the material. She is now fully on-board with had previously been my solo efforts at preparedness. I’ll spare you the details but it has been a truly amazing thing to watch and has brought us even closer than before, something I did not think possible. So I guess you could say your book can now be considered a “relationship strengthener”!