Much has changed since my last post. The bars are closed. No one has money. Preppers are no longer viewed as paranoid fringe-dwellers, but rather as wise and valued members of society. Social media froths with exhortations to grow the 2020 version of Victory Gardens. Our economic system has been revealed to be, not the end-of-history pinnacle of human achievement previously celebrated, but a teetering Jenga tower built as if by drunken baboons, brought down by microscopic sacks of RNA.
Our economic system is not resilient and without extreme measures it will resemble the elderly actor in the oft-quoted commercial who has fallen and can't get up. I don't wish to signal disapproval of measures that deliver immediate relief to those suffering from the economic fall-out of this crisis. I'm merely pointing out that all the resources spent to save the economy are being used to preserve a system that is prone to tanking as soon as another crisis comes along. And this pandemic is merely dress rehearsal for climate chaos. Consider this carefully as you decide how to spend your relief check.
Right now self-sufficiency gurus and preppers are in their glory, pumping out posts and videos on how to provide for your own needs. The current crisis a good time to get a glimpse of what those needs might be, for those of us who haven't given it much thought. While some focus on toilet paper, I find myself perseverating on dairy products. They are the first thing to run out at our house, necessitating risky trips into the grocery store. It's therefore a great time to investigate how this need could be met as locally as possible.
What is running out at your house? With some investment in personal infrastructure, could you provide this for yourself? If you can't, how far must you travel to procure it? Can you get it from a local farmer or producer? What do you really need to survive a crisis?
In my neck of the woods, spring has sprung. New growth is everywhere. It's a great time to be outside, and many people now have the extra time to do so. It is the perfect time to dig up the lawn and start that Victory Garden. It's not a weird hippy thing to do. You're not a wild-eyed prepper for seeking to provide for some of your own needs. It's just common sense. Plus you might be able to trade fresh veggies for toilet paper.
Contrary to the Chief Buffoon's fantasy that we can get everything back to normal in a few weeks, this crisis will most likely stretch out and merge and blend with other crises coming down the road. We can only hope that the pandemic will serve as a wake-up call, and motivate folks to check their reliance on global supply chains. It's time for you to get out there and set a good example, right in your front yard.
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