There’s a Reason I Use the Term Self-Reliant.

I raised a family in the Midwest, out in the country, where power failures were year-round events as common as the next thunderstorm, tornado, ice storm, wind storm or snowstorm.

I grew most of our food in an organic garden, canned, dried and froze the excess food for use during the winter and spring, until next harvest in the summer and fall.

I baked bread, all meals were home cooked, and many household items were handmade or sewn.

Our home had a furnace, but we found it more economical and warmer to use a wood stove—which did double duty as a cook stove during power outages. We used kerosene lamps during those times as well.

A power outage was a mere blip in our normal routines. No big deal.

Back then, this was known as being responsible and prepared for emergencies.

But today, because of television and social media, those of us who still have those years of preparedness hard-wired in our psyche might be called a “doomsday prepper” or worse. What changed? Has our technology lulled us into a false sense of security?

Mother Nature has no qualms about humbling us into submission whenever “we get a little too big for our britches”.

Sure, these days we live in the suburbs, for now, and I don’t have my huge garden—only container gardens. But I do know how to grow food and prepare it for storage. I know how to prepare meals ‘from scratch.’ I know how to sew and mend. I know how to purify water. I keep first aid items handy. And I still have that mindset of keeping food and water on hand for unforeseen circumstances.

Call me whatever name you wish, I can see no folly in being prepared for power failures and lack of water due to some type of weather or natural disaster…which means I’m also prepared for anything worse that might come across our path, such as an unanticipated loss of a job or unseen serious health issues that keep us from work.

Do I live in fear? Hardly. Preparedness doesn’t mean fear of the future.

It doesn’t have to mean we build bunkers in our backyard. It doesn’t mean you have to stockpile food for five years. It doesn’t mean you have to be off grid out in the wilderness somewhere. Being prepared can be as simple as knowing that you have the basics on hand to care for your family in a time of need. We do the best we can, don’t worry about what we can’t control, and know that it is far better than if we didn’t prepare at all.

My blog is where I share insights and tips with readers about preparedness, and talk about what we can do to be as prepared as possible in the event of natural disasters or emergencies. I share knowledge about ancestral skills. You know, the knowledge and skills our grandparents and great grandparents knew for everyday life, that have all but been forgotten in today’s technical world. These are things that make us more self-reliant, which in turn give us an edge against fear and panic during emergencies.

 

I hope you’ll join me.

And I’m curious–in what ways do you prepare for times of need?