I often wonder what life was like when whether you lived or died was based, in large part, on the skills you possessed like hunting, farming and finding fresh water. I look around today and wonder how many folks would survive now if suddenly they were faced with the “worst case scenario”?

How many people know how to hunt? Fish? Grow food? Locate fresh water sources and edible plants in nature?

I’m afraid many people wouldn’t fare well, and that’s sad. We’ve become so comfortable with modern conveniences that millions have lost touch with the fact that it can all disappear practically overnight. Sure, some kids are still learning these vital skills from their elders but each generation has grown more and more “modernized” and vulnerable to the point that if something major happens now, millions will probably die.

The media has worked hard over the years to marginalize and vilify those of us who like to be prepared. Those of us who enjoy feeling less vulnerable. Those of us who are proud to be as self sufficient as possible.

It takes a lot of courage to even talk about being a “prepper” nowadays because you are automatically assumed to be a “right wing conspiracy nut” or “tin foil hat wearing lunatic” or whatever derogatory phrase works best to make people feel better about justifying their choices to not be like us.

To not be prepared.

To be completely vulnerable.

I don’t really care what people think of me, although I do try not to be a doom-and-gloom type person. But I am a natural born realist so I see the world in a way that comes across as cynical and, I admit, rather depressing for the average person. I usually don’t preach to others about my beliefs, I just try to live my life simply and quietly, trying to keep myself grounded with one foot in the future and the other in the past.

Lately, though, with everything going on in the world, I have become more vocal. I’ve been encouraging folks to get out of the cities if they can or at least start stocking up on food, water and other essentials *just in case*. I’ve been talking to them about learning how to grow their own food, even if it’s on an apartment balcony, or how to raise chickens or ducks or quail (which, by the way, can be raised indoors if necessary!).

Some people are willing to listen, others just want to shoot the messenger.

So be it.

Whether or not they want to accept it, our supply chains are extremely fragile right now, more so than they’ve ever been in my lifetime, and it’s time for people to wake up to the reality that things could go south quickly.

When (not if) they do, you do not want to be caught unawares.

You do not want to be at the mercy of the government or charities to feed and clothe you. You really don’t want to be caught up in the middle of anarchy in the city if things get really bad, which they very well could soon. Literally all the signs are there that we could be facing some very difficult times in the future.

I was watching a video recently where they interviewed Leon Botstein, an American conductor and scholar, who was talking about why the Jews didn’t leave Germany when all the signs of what was to come were there.

“People knew things would be terrible, but no one imagined to what extent,” he said.