Other people's kids, and prepping

In my young and foolish days, I made the mistake of giving some parenting advice to a friend of mine. That's the last time I'll ever do that. Next time I'll just stomp my boot down on a rattlesnake's tail -it's safer.

It doesn't matter that I was only trying to help. Certainly doesn't matter that years later he's paid the price. His grown kids don't talk to him. At the time, I was just a meddling busy body. It didn't matter how gently the subject came up, he didn't want to hear it.

That was a strong lesson in the futility of telling someone something they didn't want to hear. When someone doesn't want to face a hard truth, there's no convincing them. If the problem is near to their heart, it's even worse.

A common complaint is that preppers can't convince those around them of the necessity of being prepared. The prepper just wants to help. There's real concern for other people, but they just won't listen. Nobody wants to believe their world isn't a safe place. Nasty things don't happen. Disasters just happen on the news, to people far away.

The best thing is to lead by example. That doesn't mean everyone is going to follow your lead. Even people who've suffered through hurricanes, ice storms, power outages, floods, and civil unrest, won't prepare for the next time. Many feel like: glad that's over and everything is back to normal.

However, a few will catch on. One day someone might come over to you and ask where you got your solar panels, and maybe could you help install them? Perhaps they ask you to take them along the next time you head out to the gun range, feed store, camping supply, or anything else you do to prep.

Be cool. They are just testing the waters here. Don't scare them away. Now is not the time to give them the list of things you've put together during the last ten years. However, they just might see the value of having a month's food stored, and some LED flashlights.

It's almost weird to be making this recommendation so late in the game. Anyone with eyes to see knows we are in a period of high weirdness. Enough people aren't making it and would have benefited by having some supplies and a plan. Some will hear the last minute wake up call. They'll be better off than those who don't. As someone who's prepared, the best thing you can do is help them focus on what they can do in the short amount of time left, and with the resources at their disposal.

As for the others . . . if you like confrontation . . .you might just as well tell them they are raising their kids wrong.

-Sixbears