I started prepping as you call it a truly long time ago and not much more recently like most of you who probably started later and for somewhat different reasons. I was born in the mid 50s and lived though the Cold War. I learned a lot from my mom who always had something on hand just in case even though I am sure it was never even enough for a month; she was terrified of the prospect of a nuclear war which folks back then thought was inevitable. I also learned from the Civil Defense film shorts and from drills while in grammar school. Then there were the hard times. My old man and mom got divorced when I was 8 or 9. He did not give us even a penny. My mom did the best she could to support herself and my brother, sister and me with mostly part time work. Then there was the assistance; I stood in line for free cheese, free butter, free honey and went to the stores with food stamps even though it was pretty embarrassing as a pre-teen and young teen. I do not recall if we were ever actually on welfare, I think maybe once for a brief time, but my mom was too proud and had too much of a work ethic to go that route for long.
My mom's work ethic that was transferred to me. I partied hard as a teen and even into my college days trying to rid myself of the reality of being poor but what she had along a work ethic and what she did along prepping lines sank into my thick skull regardless. I have worked all my life since I was a teenager and got through high school and college with the goal of getting a decent job and to never be poor again and again that was without really understanding that was why I was doing what I was doing. Funny, as a kid and even a teen, even in my twenties, I never realized (or waned to admit) how poor we were or had been. It did not sink in except maybe when waiting on line for cheese or with food stamps in my hand. Anyway, once I got out of college and finally got into a career in federal law enforcement (arresting illegals and customs violators so usually not arresting U.S. citizens) I started to really prep after once getting a check with the decimal point in the wrong spot, a check for about $5.12 for a two week pay period instead of $512.00! I had about a whole $25 or $30 more than that to last two weeks. I lived on rabbits and quail I shot, what little I had in the fridge, and a very small loan from a buddy of mine (maybe $20 of the total amount I just mentioned). Then all of the past kicked in and I realized I was in the real world and needed to be ready for SHTF in whatever shape or form it arrived in at my door. It was a wake up call for sure and I started planning and preparing for the worst even if only just a bit.
Yet, even today, after many more hardships and lessons learned, I am not a prepper on a grand scale. I have food enough for me and my family for probably two or three months - at least certainly for a month and a half. I have enough ammo to last several years, if used only for hunting and if I am successful with almost every shot I fire. I have other supplies as well and have some bullion on hand too though nowhere near enough if the economy goes belly up or my federal pension takes a hit. I have had it pretty good and got lax. Then, recent world and national and even state political events have made me realize it is time to wake up again. I never stopped prepping completely but never did enough of it as far as I am concerned.
Thus, I need to build it all up to have a more substantial amount on hand because as has become only too plain in recent years we are headed for utter tyranny and an all out ensuing revolution in this country and or maybe even for WWIII as well (look at what China has been doing over the past 40-50 years relative to military build-up and look to Russia and North Korea also). If you have not noticed, Obama has almost single handedly rekindled the cold war with Russia and China and North Korea (though he had help from Bill Clinton with North Korea) and he has added countries like Venezuela and Iran to the mix and added the so called JV Team of ISIS as well. Then, with douche bags like Obama and the Demoncrats and RINOs running things, there just may be a total financial collapse of the U.S. economy due to how much the deficit has grown; we cannot keep spending more than we produce without dire consequences sooner or later. So I prep now and then and hope it will b enough to get us through until we can group with others of like mind to survive and regain a Constitutional Republic.
All the best,
Glenn B
My mom's work ethic that was transferred to me. I partied hard as a teen and even into my college days trying to rid myself of the reality of being poor but what she had along a work ethic and what she did along prepping lines sank into my thick skull regardless. I have worked all my life since I was a teenager and got through high school and college with the goal of getting a decent job and to never be poor again and again that was without really understanding that was why I was doing what I was doing. Funny, as a kid and even a teen, even in my twenties, I never realized (or waned to admit) how poor we were or had been. It did not sink in except maybe when waiting on line for cheese or with food stamps in my hand. Anyway, once I got out of college and finally got into a career in federal law enforcement (arresting illegals and customs violators so usually not arresting U.S. citizens) I started to really prep after once getting a check with the decimal point in the wrong spot, a check for about $5.12 for a two week pay period instead of $512.00! I had about a whole $25 or $30 more than that to last two weeks. I lived on rabbits and quail I shot, what little I had in the fridge, and a very small loan from a buddy of mine (maybe $20 of the total amount I just mentioned). Then all of the past kicked in and I realized I was in the real world and needed to be ready for SHTF in whatever shape or form it arrived in at my door. It was a wake up call for sure and I started planning and preparing for the worst even if only just a bit.
Yet, even today, after many more hardships and lessons learned, I am not a prepper on a grand scale. I have food enough for me and my family for probably two or three months - at least certainly for a month and a half. I have enough ammo to last several years, if used only for hunting and if I am successful with almost every shot I fire. I have other supplies as well and have some bullion on hand too though nowhere near enough if the economy goes belly up or my federal pension takes a hit. I have had it pretty good and got lax. Then, recent world and national and even state political events have made me realize it is time to wake up again. I never stopped prepping completely but never did enough of it as far as I am concerned.
Thus, I need to build it all up to have a more substantial amount on hand because as has become only too plain in recent years we are headed for utter tyranny and an all out ensuing revolution in this country and or maybe even for WWIII as well (look at what China has been doing over the past 40-50 years relative to military build-up and look to Russia and North Korea also). If you have not noticed, Obama has almost single handedly rekindled the cold war with Russia and China and North Korea (though he had help from Bill Clinton with North Korea) and he has added countries like Venezuela and Iran to the mix and added the so called JV Team of ISIS as well. Then, with douche bags like Obama and the Demoncrats and RINOs running things, there just may be a total financial collapse of the U.S. economy due to how much the deficit has grown; we cannot keep spending more than we produce without dire consequences sooner or later. So I prep now and then and hope it will b enough to get us through until we can group with others of like mind to survive and regain a Constitutional Republic.
All the best,
Glenn B
