Welcome to DK Preppers: A place to discuss practical ways to get through emergencies, both short term and long. Topics may include skills for growing, storing and sharing food, lost and historical skill sets, sustainability issues, living and leaving safely, and growing community. Everyone is welcome, and the comments are open. We have open threads on Saturday (noon eastern time) and Tuesday evenings (7 eastern time).
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On Facebook, I have a small group of friends that are liberal and worried about a possible looming Trumpocalypse and impending global climate change. We discuss how things can go bad, how it might look and ways to prepare. None of us are doomsday type of preppers, and none of us think that society as we know it will disintegrate into the Dark Ages again, but we do have some “What If” types of discussion. Like, “What If the grid went down and we had to live without electricity and fossil fuels?” or “What if the monetary system collapsed and we had to live in a barter based society?”
Since it is such a small group, we noticed that when those type of catastrophe discussions come up, two in the group never joined in, even though we tried to be clear that they were mind exercises, and that we didn’t consider them to be even remotely likely future outcomes. We assumed they were reticent because they didn’t want to entertain our paranoid conspiracy theories even in jest, but when I asked them outright, their answers surprised me. They both said that they couldn’t even think about those circumstances because they are disabled, and they would be useless in those sort of situations.
It made me sad that they thought that, and angry that we as a larger community had made them feel as though they were of lesser importance or even worse, useless. We asked them how we could change our group to include them fully, and they gave our group some direction. Since then, when our discussions turn to “What If Apocalypse” topics, we focus more on how to make ourselves indispensable to a community of fellow survivors in that sort of world, no matter what our physical, emotional, or cognitive limitations. We try to look more at what we can do, or could do, rather than what we can’t do. We also make sure to ‘check in’ with everyone, so no one gets left behind in discussions. If someone feels pressured to be or do more than they are able at that time, we try to work it out. Sometimes there aren’t enough spoons, and those of us who have less struggles with ability or illness try to be more aware.
We have decided that it all boils down to special skills, willingness to adapt, and knowledge. We would need abilities that would help our community. For instance, my daughter Grace has Williams Syndrome, and an IQ in the mid-40’s, but she knows how to care for chickens, how to trim their wings to keep them from flying over the fence, how to pound in a small fence post, how to clean a chicken coop so they don’t get sick, how to care for rabbits, how to weed a garden, how to tell if carrots are ready to pull, which greens chickens and rabbits like to eat and how to gather baskets full of them, and several wild greens that taste good for humans. Not only does she have skills and special knowledge, but she has a willingness to get in there and do stuff. She would be a valuable asset to our imaginary community no matter what the number is after her IQ on cognitive tests.
One of the women in our group has been a teacher for years. She knows how to teach a child with learning disabilities to add, subtract, and read without quenching their curiosity or spirit. What a value that is! Another knows how to make wine from flowers, fruit and vegetables. She can work a still too, to make hard liquor. I know about medicinal herbs, and how to make a cooking pot you can actually use from clay dug from the ground, and about 5 different ways to fire it without electricity.
One of the side effects of our discussions has been that we all have been reading about and learning new skills. One has started going to storytelling competitions, and even writing her own stories. (I want her around to make the time enjoyable on long, dark post-apocalyptic evenings.) A couple women have learned how to make yarn on a drop spindle, one of the guys can now can almost any food, several of us can make cheese, cure hides, and make jerky. We’ve shared posts on how to stick weave, compost, identify wild foods, grow mushrooms, make charcoal, make candles and lanterns and many more. We’ve admired each others’ pictures of our foraged salads, top bar beehives, home made jerky, handmade moccasins, hand forged knives, darned socks (a lost art!), and loaves of freshly made bread. Many of the skills are not mobility or health dependent. A person without the use of their legs can make a medicinal tincture that is as effective as anyone else’s. A person with depression can identify edible mushrooms as well as anyone.
Our “What if” game has blossomed into continual self-education, and added self-confidence, as well as a renewed realization that we are all valuable, and not just because of the things we can or can’t do, but because we are humans; humans that are creative, generous, flawed, and amazing, with the ability to grow, change, and learn. We make mistakes, and still hurt each other now and then, but I believe we all are more open to modifying our behavior to be more inclusive, and more hopeful.
So, for this story, I invite you to play our totally-not-serious game: Why are you crucial for our survival in a post-apocalyptic world? You might have some limitations, yet you are valuable. You are more than your imperfections. What do you know? What would you like to learn? How can you share of yourself? If you decide to learn some new skills, you might just find that you like yourself even more. You’ll remember that you are a creative, valuable, and capable human being if you’ve forgotten. And, if poop ever does actually hit the rotating air mover, you can join my community. Because we’ll need you.
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If you want some ideas for skills to try out, I’m including some links to videos:
--Three ingredient, no knead bread.
--One way to start a fire.
--Start composting with worms.
--Go on a hike. Use a map and compass.
--Preserve some veggies using only salt and water.
--Make soap.
--Forage some greens. (Insert warning to be smart and careful here).
--Learn simple stick weaving.
--Make a basket.
In the comments, let us know your plans for being more prepared, and the measures you have taken to get there. Anything about getting yourself to a place where, in an emergency, you can care for yourself, your family, and your community is great to talk about.
If you would like to do a story for DK Preppers, I try to have a discussion on Saturday afternoon and Tuesday evenings. The stories can be about your experiences, or just a topic to discuss. Let me know if you are interested.
SERIOUSLY. You know you want to write a post.
I forgot to mention that I will be out of town for about 9 days. I’m driving across country to see family. I have diaries in queue for Saturday afternoon, and Tuesday, but I may not be able to comment on them unless I happen to be someplace with Wi-Fi. So, please, comment lots on them for me. I’ll catch up when I get back home.
-AuntieB