Preppers?

Eighteen months ago, when all this shit started, my @HomeCrazzyHome blog had a series I called UK Prepper Mom. And it still attracts the insane. But I quickly discovered a flaw. I am not and never could be a ‘prepper’ or ‘survivalist.’ For the simple reason, I believe in cooperation over competition. No one can ever truly be self-sufficient. Our best chance for survival is in small communities of twenty to fifty.

And while my misanthrope loved and misses shielding and self-isolation, even then we were reliant on others. It is surprising who you can count on during those tough times. The posh neighbors who always make the passive-aggressive comments on my re-wilding garden and lack of fashion sense were happy to search for @PanKwake’s streaky bacon and Dr Pepper. My friend who did go to the dark side of prepper was great too. And of course, Amazon quickly adjusted and were a lifeline, especially as I expanded our #growyourown vegetable garden into a urban farm & homestead.

Maybe that cooperation sounds a bit idealistic in the face of the great toilet paper crisis of 2020 (ours is delivered every three months by a ethical company called Who Gives a Crap – not paid advertising). There is no doubt that such thing is harder to find these days. Ironically, it is online communities which are most embracing and inclusive. But it is how I was raised. One of my favorite blog posts epitomizes this spirit of community and cooperation – Eggs, Onions & Farts.

So, too, it is with our friends at Regenesis:

Brent Jacobs ran his hands through his hair as the red-headed woman behind him paced the room. Dr. Lauren Masters-Jacobs was the latest addition to the Regenesis team. “It’s to be expected. Fear of the unknown is an evolutionary advantage for the human species,” she attempted to soothe her husband, or maybe ex-husband was more accurate. Though the two were acting as if the divorce and last seven years never happened.

“We have to do something. And soon, Lauren. People have a right to know the truth and do their best to prepare.”

“Well, if the rest of the country is anything like around here, I don’t know how much good it will actually do. The bigger stores are almost empty of anything useful. And the smaller, local ones are already price gouging. Each of the safehouses along the route has supplies for fifty people for a month. But I don’t see how we can do much else at this point,” Dwayne wished he had better news for the man.

The man squeezed his fingers in his hair so tightly it looked painful. His wife placed her hand on his shoulder, “Brent, you did your best. Look at this place. It’s amazing. Let me remind you, this is not an extinction-level event. Humanity will survive. We have for a million years in some of the harshest conditions imaginable.”

A slow smile spread across the man’s face. He turned and scooped his wife into his arms and swung her around. “You’re brilliant, darlin.’ That’s it. We’re going about this all wrong. You always see what I’m missing.”

“I don’t understand. What did I say?”