No, “fatigue” was not misspelled. I didn’t mean fatigues, though I can see how you’d think that. This post is a contemplative piece, a reflection of my thinking. Maybe it’s maintaining this blog or maybe it’s the doomsday news day in and day out, but SHTF and survival action has been wearing on me. Everywhere I go, every conversation I hear (well, many conversations on current events), they all have SHTF undertones. There’s a pervasive sense of negativity surrounding society right now. Blame it on the economy, the election, the news, or anything else, but make no mistake about it – it’s there. Or maybe it’s just me – I don’t know.
What I do know is that it’s beginning to wear on me. Part of me just wants to cast it all aside and live like everyone else around me – in denial of the fragility of our system. Is ignorance bliss? Sometimes I think it is. Would it be wiser for me to ignore the negative news, sign up for cable television and drown myself in Comedy Central instead? Perhaps, but it’s too late for that. My eyes have been opened to the facts of our fragile system, and I can’t close my eyes now, or if I do – the realization is still there.
Balance – that’s what I think I need – balance. But hell, balance isn’t easy to come by in today’s environment. It’s hard to say, “Lets go on a vacation to Disney World” when I know my family’s food preps are nowhere near what they should be. It’s hard to say, “I’m gonna buy a nice new truck” when I know any monthly discretionary funds should go toward savings or reducing debt. It’s hard – it’s all hard – and we’re all gonna die.
What? We’re not? We ARE all going to die – and therein lies another SHTF conundrum. Why spend so much time and energy preparing for The End Of The World As We Know It (TEOTWAWKI) when we’re gonna die anyway? I mean, if a thousand and one mushroom clouds go up, do I REALLY want to be around for the aftermath? Would it have been wiser to have spent the good days livin’ it up instead? Shit, where is “Boomer for the Future” (who periodically posted comments at Bison Blog) when you need him for a slap to the face from the other side of life. The truth of the matter is that it WOULD be easier to live in denial and NOT prepare for the future if it was just my own life on the line. But every since having a couple kids life has changed. Surviving SHTF now isn’t about me, it’s about them. They rely on me, and I’m forever toast now, because I can already tell that when they’re adults it’ll still be about prepping for them, or prepping for the grandkids.
<sigh> I should have never read The Road. Well hell, that wouldn’t have mattered. I’d still be thinking the same thing. Maybe I should work this line of thinking and write a TEOTWAWKI novel. Hell, I was an English major, I know this shit – I could do it . . . . nah – resist the urge, it’s all about balance . . . right?
– Ranger Man
BTW: I did find a new treasure in life – Stone Brewery! I’m swilling a second bottle of their IPA as I write this. Good stuff!
BTW x2: Don’t think (or write to me) that you’re hoping I’m not resorting to alcoholism to have a good time – lol. So I like good beer – sue me!
25 comments
I know exactly how you feel, my brother. I’ve been seeing the writing on the wall for a month or so now. Ever since the stock market decided to go swimming and the election polls have been showing what they’ve been showing.
My current position, work wise, is also an “if” right now too. It isn’t a guaranteed position, as far as anything goes, so funds are a bit tight. We’ll see what the next month or so how that floats, or doesn’t.
As for Stone brewery, I noticed a display of their’s at the Citgo near the Bangor Mall yesterday. We just happened to be “downstate” this weekend. Sometimes, it is nice to have a bit of a vacation of sorts. Got to thinking about lots of things, but that would fill pages of blog entries, so I’ll spare you all the time. The wife did get some nice photo’s of a bunch of coastal things, though. Keep on trucking though. Fatigue or not, we’re all in this together, despite all our attempts at self-sufficiency.
I know how you feel but we must keep pushing on. Yes you need to balance and you need to live while you still can. Why not Disney? Better now then after SHIF. Yes you need to prep and yes we all need to get out of debt. But look at it this way someday you may be able to sell off some preps for what you owe on you home if hyper inflation hits. You can’t live completely off the what ifs. Maybe tommorow will be a better day.
You grow weary from your exertions becaus youe follow the road of the phallus and the gun.
I extort you to abandon your guns. Ignore the needs of the libido. Give love and share arousal.
It is time for an update on our progress. As you know, we were on our way to Idaho from Saint Louis to start our compound of shared love and arousal. But then our compass led us to South Texas. (we now know that the red needle is the one that points north)
There we were in Galveston a few weeks ago. We had the beaches to ourselves and were feeling groovy. FlowerWoman had some “oregeno” and we peeled the boards off a hotel and partook. When we awoke three days later Galveston was a wreck. maybe you don’t know it, but a hurricane hit there.
We had all of our belongings in six little red wagons and unfortunately left them on the beach that night.
Now we are treading north to Idaho. We are some place called Midland, Texas, and people pelt us with turnips when we walk through town. The police have been real nice though. They always offer to drive us out of the city limits, thus shortening our walking by a mile or two.
All of our worldly goods are lost. Exept for our cucumber seeds. What would life be like without long firm cucumbers.
So Rangerman, follow our enlightend lead and abandon your guns. Come to Northern Idaho with all your worldy goods and contribute them to our Camp of Arousal and Veganism. In fact, if you could just meet us in Lubbock and drive us the rest of the way, that would be way cool.
We expect to regroup at the Loves Truck Stop north of lubbock and be in Northern Idaho by Christmas. All are welcome to donate their worldly goods and join us.
ABANDON YOUR GUNS AND FIND YOUR AROUSAL.
FM
ROFLMBunsO, Flowerman…quite the idea..now, if ya rilly want a ride to Idaho, meet me at the Lubbock Flaunt an Grin…(not rilly)…
Ranger, I feel your pain, suffer your angst- I want so much to visit someone on the East Coast…but what if…? I’m begining to think I’m going…then hesitate…yes, I’m going…but…
I know your pain, my Man. Sometimes, prepping is a serious challenge, and it isn’t always about prepping.
Shy
Amen Brother. It really is overwhelming sometimes. I keep saying I’m not going to pay attention to the news anymore – but how do you walk away from the fate of the planet? Then I try to concentrate on some of the “other” possibilities out there that I might be preparing for – since we never really know what’s actually going to happen – not just the full-on 101 mushroom clouds SHTF scenario. Those “sh*t I just lost my job” times, or the “my partner’s too sick to go to work so we have to make ends meet” times, or that once in a lifetime snowstorm that shuts down the area for days on end. Who knows what will happen – none of us have a crystal ball. Maybe we’ll luck out and the battle of Armegedon won’t rage on our doorstep, and all this will be just preparing for life’s minor inconveniences. Hell, we’re still better off than most.
Ah Rangerman, I feel your pain. ‘Specially the part about the prepping for the little ones (or screamers as I call them). I can only hope that what they see the spouse and myself doing now will trickle into their futures (if there is one, lol) and they know how to do what needs to be done.
We’re thinking Disney next summer ourselves, but then I think of everything that cash could go for…what a freakin’ conundrum.
I got your back, brother. Last year (just about this time), we took the kids to Colorado…drove up Pikes Peak, went to the Garden of the Gods, the cave, the pueblo village, went to a restaurant and shared rainbow trout, buffalo, and elk…something in me said it would be a long time before I saw the mountains (or had a vacation) again, so we just took off for a long weekend. And dang…I really needed it.
Of course, I’m not denigrating sex and alcohol. Just be careful mixing the two together, peeps. You wouldn’t want to end up having to do a coyote ugly. You might need that arm in the future. Nom, nom, nom.
Elisabeth Kübler-Ross (1969 book “On Death and Dying”) describes the five stage process by which people deal with grief and tragedy, especially when diagnosed with a terminal illness.
1. Denial: * Example – “I feel fine.”; “This can’t be happening, not to me!”
2. Anger: * Example – “Why me? It’s not fair!” “NO! NO! How can you accept this!”
3. Bargaining: * Example – “Just let me live to see my children graduate.”; “I’ll do anything, can’t you stretch it out? A few more years.”
4. Depression: * Example – “I’m so sad, why bother with anything?”; “I’m going to die . . . What’s the point?”
5. Acceptance: * Example – “It’s going to be OK.”; “I can’t fight it, I may as well prepare for it.” (Thanks to Wikipedia)
There is a great scene in the play “The Lark” about Joan of Arc; Joan explains to the young king that she ALWAYS GET SCARED, but she gets scared FIRST and then gets over it, before her enemy.
This is central to leadership: Get thru the Grief Cycle before everyone else does.
I, for one, am thankful that I read “The Road”, “The Long Emergency”, “Resource Wars”, “Gray Dawn” then oildrum.com, etc. before the masses, as I am ready.
You all — particularly Ranger Man — should read “Alas Babylon” after “The Road”; in Alas, the hero grabs the bull by the horns while everyone else falls apart, helping everyone; that is a life STILL worth living. Leadership.
Now for a ‘really sharp’ wakeup call, go to ‘newswithviews.com/Stang/alan169.htm’ and read his latest column entitled ‘After the Election, Hide Your Stuff’. That will get your blood pumping. Greg
Hi Rangerman,
As another New England suburbanite with a family, I’ve dealt with the “fatigue” in the following way. For TEOTWAWKI preps, we diligently saved, stored, prepped, and then put all the long term stuff in a small and appropriately cool dry room in our basement, removed the doorknob, then slid a big bookcase in front of the door. Out of sight, out of mind, but definitely there. We plan on opening the room once or twice a year for rotation. For the more perishable items, we just expanded the pantry by the kitchen. The rest of the stuff is “hidden in plain sight.”
Otherwise, I go to work everyday and try to save a bit of the ol’ paycheck for “contingencies,” and try to be a cheerful dad and husband.
You’ve got kids? Be thankful. Smile and raise them well.
We’ve got it made here. Look how others live. In many parts of the world folks don’t worry about stocking up on food. They worry about getting enough to eat for that day and sometimes can’t.
Take it from an old vet, things get better and they get worse. It doesn’t matter. It’s how you handle it that counts. We can’t worry about the future because it’s not ours. We have to do the best we can to prepare for it, but that’s all we can do. Live your life as best you can today and try to put a bit aside in case you’re here tomorrow. We’re not in the Great Depression right now. There aren’t any KGB agents hunting us right now. The Huns aren’t riding toward our village. Life is good. Sit back, take a breath, and appreciate the fact that you are here right now. Don’t worry so much about all your “stuff.” You’re ahead of the game for now. Enjoy it.
regards,
Tom
’cause preparing for hard times is the smart thing to do. Always has been, even in the midst of good times when SHTF seems like it could never happen. Because SHTF can always happen, never know what is around the corner.
I feel ya Ranger family , business, preping, and so on can get a man down. Some times you need to look backwards and say WTF let loose and relax have some fun before you lose site and blow off some steam. While recovering ( the hangover ) it will make since again. So set back pop the cork on 10 instead of 2 howl at the moon because the next day as you feel like you have been pulled through a knot hole backwards and saying that you’ll never do that again. It will all make since again! (We call that R and R in the Army) Then pull up the boot straps and getter done. The main point is man needs some play or we burn out.
Rangers lead the way!!!!
Hey Rangerman hang in there. I owe you a big thanks because before I found your site, I was one of the many who just wandered through life not seeing whats going on around me. I know now, that because of seeing the world for how it is my family can and will survive any SHTF senario. We owe that to you and your site so just know that you have helped other families around the country survive. Take some time to go to Disney World and just relax. Take whatever life throws at you one step at a time.
First of all I thought all the recent events had revealed how NON-fragile the system was? A hurricane, a terrible president, oil consumption, global warming, bla bla bla and yet everyone is still rolling along. Sometimes I’d love it to come crashing down as much as the next guy, but when you step back from the immersion in SHTF news, things don’t seem as close to the brink.
And not that you need my suggestion, but it seems like you’re talking down “balance” before you even try it. Give up reading doomsday news for a bit, just try it. At first maybe you’ll have lingering fears and all, but I think you can reach a more stable equilibrium where you don’t feel guilty or nervous taking a vacation with the family. I find I can only handle doom and gloom reports for a few months at a time, then I need to take some time off to just appreciate everything and live the life I have.
Anyways, I dig your writing, so best of luck to you.
You poise a good question about if you really want to be around after the SHTF. In “The Road,” do we want to be the wandering guy. Probably not. In “Hand Made World,” several of the characters were unhappy with their new “peasant” role and others were unhappy with the new primitive world. I guess the answer to the question lies in whether the things you value (and special people may be included) still exist post-SHTF. Or, if they don’t, whether you can change and adapt.
Flowerman you need to do stand up. hahaha. Rangerman just take a vacation and recharge your batteries. You still need to live and enjoy life or all the prepping will be for nothing. SHTF will still be here tomorrow.
You have a nack for hitting on the trend of things. I’m feeling the same way.
“Let us eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die!”
take the vacation dude !
and thanks for the blog
Maybe instead of Disney world you may consider something that requires less expenditure, but is still a lot of fun. The wife and I recently celebrated our 30th anniversary. We had planned a big trip, but scaled it back considerably to a bunch of smaller, closer to home trips. We had a great time and saved a ton of money. Hell, we even bought preps.
Taking a bit of time for R&R like your friend above said is good advice.
Almost forgot. I read “The road” earlier this week. Probably best to give your brain a week or so to recoup. Making major derisions soon after reading that is probably a mistake.
Ranger, Stone has a great IPA, another one you should try is Dogfish Head. They’re a mirco brewery in Delaware, try the 90 min IPA, talk about hops!!
Omegaman, I’ve tried the Dogfish Head 90 min IPA. It’s good, but I like the Stone IPA as it’s more smooth. Have you tried Flying Dog’s “Double Dog, Double Pale Ale”? I like that better than Dogfish Head’s 90 minute, too. I gotta try a few other Dogfish Head beers.
Ranger, sorry just got back from the Aloha state(yeah life’s rough). Anyhow, haven’t tried double dog but it sounds like my kind of ale. I like really hoppy stuff, a few of my local microbrewpubs make what they call an imperial or double IPA, really hoppy stuff, I love it. I’ll give Flying dog a try.
Posts like this brehgtin up my day. Thanks for taking the time.