[Muleman]

I do not belong to any groups. I do not hide out in the woods. I do not fear the world will end tomorrow, although I am a Christian and believe it will end and even believe I know how, just not when? I do not think I am a hoarder. I do not have a list of what is in the pantry. I do not think I am a militant. My kids go to school. My wife stays at home. I go to a job. I am not one of those people like they show on the Discovery channel building their armored buses or digging a hole for an underground bunker. I do not have a bug out plan to leave my home when the Zombies attack. I do not even believe there are such things as Zombies (at least not like in the movies).
I think I am pretty normal and lead a pretty normal life.

But, more and more when I return to work and have conversations with co-workers I get the same thing. "Man you gotta quit reading that survivalist crap". or "Why do you want to have all those animals and mess with that garden"

I Have never been a big sports fan, just always seemed like grown people playing children's games to me? I have never been a big video game player, just never got that interested in computers? I am sorry, but idle talk about big 4x4 trucks or muscle cars, just seem a waste past a certain age, they have no real value to me. A big house with the latest interior amenities hold no interest to me, just seems a waste of money? I think I could be perfectly happy living in a small cabin in the woods with my wife and be perfectly content to never really see any people again. I just do not need to be constantly entertained? (I would want to keep my mules though, they are nice to talk to, they listen.)

Yes, I grow a big garden and yes we freeze and can some food. I raise various livestock and yes, I have mules. I do have some firearms and some ammunition. I do like building things and pride myself on being able to make most anything from steel or wood. I am concerned about the loss of our freedoms. I do read survival type books and magazines. I read a lot of how to stuff, butchering, farming, wilderness survival stuff. I have read all the books available on the mountain men and how they did things. I butcher my own food at home, at least as much as I can. I have high hopes to be buying no more store bought meat at all after this winter. I would like to be able to stay home and work on the farm and do my gunsmithing to make a living and just not be bothered by having to deal with the politics of working in a commercial type job anymore. I do have a goal of being mostly self sufficient and raising my own food. I plan to have a big cellar in my next house and probably no electricity to it, but I will have electricity to my shop closer to the road, so I can ply my trade doing gunsmithing, metal and wood work in order to earn a living. I taught my kids how to shoot when they were young. We go hunting when we can. We are just living a normal life right?

So why, when I ask someone I work with what they would do if there was no grocery store tomorrow, or what would they do if there was no more gas to buy, do they label me as some paranoid prepper?? Why when I tell someone about my newest setup for raising and butchering chickens do they ask if I do any "Normal" stuff? Providing for your family is not normal? Preparing for the unexpected is not normal? Since when did living pay check to paycheck and being preoccupied with the latest video game or sports team become normal for a middle aged man??

I may not be normal in the Hollywood, television scense of the word, but at the same time I do not think I am what the television portrays as a "doomsday prepper" either. I am just a normal guy providing for his family and preparing to take care of them if something should happen. Sorry, maybe some of you have dealt with this already and I am just late to the party, so to speak, but the more they try to make light of the way I choose to live my life, the more I have to wonder if maybe I am one of "Those" people??? But I do not consider myself a Prepper? Not according to what I see on TV anyway?

I am not insecure in who I am. It does not really bother me what people think. I guess I just do not understand why it seems to bother people so much that I am prepared to take care of my family even with no outside input if needed. They buy car insurance, even thought they do not plan to have a wreck! I do not fault them for that or look at them like they are crazy for preparing for a wreck they hope will never happen??? Is that not the same thing??

 

[elkhound]

you are what normal use to be.....keep up the good work.

 

[BlueRose]

If you are one of those (people) then so is the rest of us here.

 

[Wendy]

Yeah, I guess I am one of those too!

 

[Ceilismom]

Ever been to a party where you're the only person not drinking? It's kinda the same thing. You're killing the buzz. And as far as being "one of them"...I don't think it matters if you're actually a doomsday prepper or just a person whose head isn't in the sand, you'll get tarred with the same brush. Be careful what you talk about, and to whom. Might find some of those party animals at your front door some day.

 

[7thswan]

Why does it bother them? Because You make them look bad.

 

[Muleman]

It just seems it is more difficult to have a conversation with some of them anymore. We just seem to have less and less common ground of interest. I honestly feel that the older I get, and the more I learn, the more I realize how much I do not know. The same thing goes for being self sufficient. The more I buy, or the more preparations I make, to do things for myself, the more I realize how unprepared I am.

Last year I read the book "One Second After",. (One of many, I read a lot it seems) No one wants that to happen, especially not me. There will be nothing much good from such a scenario, but it does make you realize at least the possibilities. I personally think the possibility of such a thing is not very high. But there is no harm in at least discussing or giving thought to the possibility or the preparations for such things. Certainly seems more worthy of my time than statistics on how many baseballs some guy hit or how fast some new car goes? I guess rather than seeing what I do as being alarmist or having a doomsday outlook I see it more in a Biblical sense.

1 Correnthians 13.11 says "When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I reasoned as a child, but when I became a man I put away those childish things"

I just keep thinking, "When are they going to put away their childish thoughts", but they never do?? And yes, I have learned to keep quiet about somethings as well!!

Thanks for listening, maybe it is not such a bad thing to be labeled "One of them" At least I am not one of "THEM"

 

[Ohio dreamer]

Thanks for listening, maybe it is not such a bad thing to be labeled "One of them" At least I am not one of "THEM"

Yep, you're not one of THEM, you're one of US!

Most of us here are not the crazy "Doomsday Preppers" you see on TV (I say most because you never know who's "lurking" ). Heck, even the people on that show are not really as crazy as the TV makes them out to be. we are just average people that don't drink the Kool-Aid while wearing Rose Colored Glasses. We believe that we are "big boys and girls" and have a responsibility to take care of ourselves and our families.

Those drinking the Kool-Aid and wearing the Glasses, just lump everyone that doesn't in the same group. That's easier for them then actually thinking about what we are saying and hearing our words.
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/

 

[Ziptie]

You need to read the tread I'm a housewife. Not saying you are a chick, but the same mentality applies. Your life style was normal a couple generations ago. Things have changed and some things not necessarily better.:thumb:

 

[Forcast]

its like talking politics with the inlaws

you know what the reaction will be so just stop trying to prepare people.

people still think Im nuts for being ready as I could be for Y2K. So I stopped talking about stuff like that.

 

[Sawmill Jim]

I didn't pay any mind to the Y2K as I never saw a time that bills failed to be sent out :sing: Easy thing is to stay prepared .When I grew up we lived a lot out of the garden .We also ate lots of dried beans and taters :thumb:

Unless I know someone that lives like we do I would rather talk about anything other than my gun collection ammo and food storage .We try to look poor as a church mouse this way folks kind of shy from stopping by . For the record we are poor as a church mouse and embrace it . :sing:

I don't mind talking muscle cars as I have one :thumb: Wife in near 60 and still drives a Mustang and loves it too. :thumb:

 

[Trainwrek]

Well it just seems like you are 'into' the self reliant, survival, homestead thing and you are talking to people who aren't. It's like being into motorcycles and trying to talk to somebody who likes to ride horses, there is just no common ground.

Some people like to watch football, or play golf, some like to see how much of their own food they can grow. You're just talking to the wrong people, they don't 'get it'. We do

 

[dizzy]

Just wait until a Rita or Sandy or some other natural disaster hits in your area. You might find them apologizing.

 

[Sawmill Jim]

Just wait until a Rita or Sandy or some other natural disaster hits in your area. You might find them apologizing.

Nope :hammer: A light will go off in their head that you said something about your food supply and come knocking at your door .:facepalm:

Once we were out of electric for 14 days we were thankful that the Gov didn't come to help ,this was during a ice storm . I keep a S10 4x4 just for winter driving we go check on some older folks .

 

[Muleman]

Well, thankfully the people I work with do not live by me, as I work away from home. I kinda collect stuff, so I got a bunch of junk around, so to the average person, it looks like we just got a bunch of junk is all. I guess in all honesty that is what we got?? I never have been much of one to want to show off my stuff anyway. When people ask, I always just say we get by ok!!

 

[TnAndy]

Don't bother asking me if you're normal. I don't own a cell phone and have never sent a text, so clearly, I am clueless.

 

[Maura]

Hey, Muleman, you’re okay with me.

 

[handymama]

Sounds normal as can be to me.

 

[Ozarks Tom]

I've decided there a two main reasons people scoff at others who want to live as self sufficient as possible.

One, they don't like thinking about change, especially negative change. Their lives are comfortable now, and thought of any possible disruption just won't be considered. Look up the term "normalcy bias". http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Normalcy_bias

Two, they're lazy. If they are quietly concerned about current events, or understand even obliquely the inevitability of our financial system, they'd rather go into denial than do what's necessary to prepare.

In either case, your coworkers sound like the last people you should discuss your interests with. Like has been said before, your driveway might just be full of them if things go south.

By the way, One Second After is fiction based on fact. Several countries, including our own, have developed just exactly such weapons. The book's premise isn't beyond belief.

 

[TraciInTexas]

I always counter that I am NOT a "Prepper," but I am a PLANNER.

I planned where to take my kids and house dogs when the wild fire came up to the back of our subdivision. Luckily!
I planned how to take care of my kids when the power went out during those years they went out often. Luckily!
And now I plan on what to do and how to do it for DH, the dogs, and me... And where to meet my adult, away children.