We all read and see in the media where the world is going. Many debate the “How” of the “end”: Economic collapse, solar flare, pole shift, “Planet X” and so on. I believe we should ignore the “How” and focus on what we as the human race will do “when this happens”, whatever “it” is? Let’s take a minute and think: Certain disasters will necessitate certain supplies, specific preparations, and or survival techniques. If you are like me you’ve dedicated yourself into the world of “The End” then you have most likely done your due diligence and prepared to one extent or another. Some with a fallout shelter under ground, to those with a closet full of food and bug out bag.
My whole vision of “The End” was, burned into my psyche by Francis Ford Coppola in his film Apocalypse Now. The napalm burning up the jungle with the somber words of Jim Morrison’s, “The End‘ pouring over the horror of that image. Yet, in all of our fear and relentless preparation I came to have an epiphany. What are we doing for the future, for the next generations to come? The following is a brief list of what I’ve come to believe is the true meaning of “Survival” and “Preparation”.
The Epiphany – Phase One
I am a spiritual person. I wouldn’t say I belong to any organized religion, because I find that when Men and power, over large groups of people where money may be included,… abuse tends to follow close behind. Now, I’m not saying all churches or pastors, priests or Imams are evil and corrupt. But I find that I personally don’t need a place to worship. God and Jesus and I have a close relationship. I’m not insane when I say we speak all the time. However, I do communicate with God daily. Perhaps being from a Lutheran background is why i worship this way. However you worship, and even if you don’t this will apply to all Preppers.
My vision came when I was collecting information on how to refine “Bio-diesel” from used fryer oil, some fuel anti freeze and lye. The whole process seemed so simple. I couldn’t believe you could run a regular diesel vehicle like this. I couldn’t believe you can make so much in 12 hours with household ingredients. I wondered: who else could benefit from this information? I felt like part of surviving was making sure that other like-minded people, survive as well. I started to question the whole process? What if someone else out there, with only some soup and a tent in the back of their truck, when “it” happens is out of fuel? What if I had shared, what I had just learned, and they had that small bit of information. Maybe that man is able to save his family by getting out of town and avoiding the riots at the pumps just because of one small act of sharing information with someone else. Someone else who doesn’t know that making bio-diesel at home is even possible? Naturally I did what many of us are doing. I read blogs for preppers. While online with some of you the epiphany turning into a calling. I know this may sound corny, but it’s true. I feel now that the simple act of sharing information to trying to survive isn’t enough.
Phase Two (The Realization)
I started collecting information: survival information, escape and evasion in urban areas, local edible plants, how to make a generator out of a car alternator and a lawnmower, etc. Solar power and hydro power, natural insulation, how to trap animals and caching, food and ammo. All became my hobbies. I’m sure many of you can relate to my hobby. I began taking tactical shooting, rock climbing, repelling and emergency medicine courses and classes. But as halloween approached every channel had a zombie movie scheduled. I am a long time science fiction fan–I love that stuff. But I started thinking about some of the classic disaster and dystopian sci-fi films like Logan’s Run
This is where it all started to come together. This isn’t just about us, and our immediate survival. We as a race will survive. We have survived extinctions before, with no technology at all. So I believe we will again.
What about after our generation? What about the children who don’t know what a television ever was or a computer? What about their children… they will know even less. I truly believe that it will be similar to the life of the people in The Book of Eli
Phase Three (implementation and execution)
Now that I’m out on a limb, and most of you treading his probably think I’m a kook. Just think for a minute: I know I use many pop-culture references and movies to explain my calling. But I am an extensive reader. and I believe that movies and books are a direct reflection of the fears and desires of the people who make and watch them. There is truth in them. As educated survivors die, of whatever reasons if they don’t pass on their knowledge, to future generations it will all be lost to time.
|
This is how the “End” can Become a “Beginning”. We have made many mistakes as a people. We have also done many things right. My calling is to collect as much information about the most important and influential, inventions, theories, systems, philosophy, mathematics, linguistics, religions, etc. Once I’ve collected information I copy it onto flash drives, disks, paper and post on blogs. I try to get all of that important information in one place, so the next generation can have a better chance of having it to learn from.
I’ll give you all an example: I collected 20 GB of information on everything from mining and smelting iron and steel, to how to build a printing press. Now some future person who hopefully was taught how to read could reproduce words and ideas for others. He could make and build a printing press. That took 3,000 years for us to learn. The idea of losing that forever, is my biggest fear. I have collected info on how to make glass, filament and light bulb. Or how to make a battery, and how to farm wind and sun. How to build a chicken coop, et cetera. If you are follow my train of thought then you understand why this is important for all Preppers.
Conclusion
My wife and I don’t have children. But if we survive THE event that cuts the population by 80% then we will have a responsibility to the future. Beyond procreation. If we live to be old in our survival community, we would be teachers. We will all have to become teachers. You may not understand Calculus yourself. But part of your supplies should be stored information on multiplication tables through Trigonometry. For the engineers and doctors that survive they will have the most responsibility to teach what they know to the next generations, But with volumes of reference materials, of all the sciences and arts in every community, the future doesn’t seem so bleak. Infrastructure exists. It will not last forever. We as a people have a obligation to all of those brilliant, hard working people who invented, designed and built the world that we live in today. We owe it to their children and your children to share and store as much knowledge as we possibly can. So in the future, some bright young boy or girl might find your, Flash drive, or disk, or notebook and it inspires them to rebuild the national power grid, or fix the generators at Hoover Dam. Or it may be as small as feeding two families instead of one through a harsh winter with canning techniques?
This is how “The End can be a Beginning” The beginning of the new American Republic. The way it was designed by the founding fathers to be. By the way the first piece of literature in my collection for the New Beginning was the King James Bible, The second was the Constitution of the United States of American and the third was the Declaration of Independence. Those are the three most important survival tools in your bug out kit.