Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Could You Survive?

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So...here is a question for you:

Could you survive if all of the stores closed and there was no electricity, phone service, or gas?

One of my daughter's teachers mentioned to the class the other day that if anything ever happened here in America, most of us wouldn't even know how to grow our own food. We wouldn't know how to make our own clothing or do our laundry. She was recommending that they learn this stuff - not because she was making a doomsday prediction, but because she knows if anything catastrophic happened, most of this country would be in big trouble.

I tend to agree with her. We are losing the last generation that knew how to grow their own food and sew their own clothing. They cleaned with vinegar and baking soda. They washed their clothing in a big tin tub.

While I know not everyone is going to enjoy homemaking and gardening, it may be wise to learn some basics. Or, at the very least, to have a book on hand, should you ever need it.

Do you have a resource you could turn to should you need it?

We have become mega-consumers, purchasers of the end product, never having any idea how it came to us. To many of us, everything from fruits and veggies to chicken to flour originates from Walmart. Of course, we  all really know they don't.

But if Walmart ceased to exist...could you survive?

Of course, I hope that life will continue on just has it has for a long time - with plenty of stores filled with food and clothing. I hope that we will be able to always use our cars to go places. And I hope that we will never need to cower in our homes consumed with fear.

But wouldn't it be wise to at least give it some thought...just in case?

I just finished a book that took place in the communist era of Romania. Most of the Jews there lived wealthy, comfortable lives - a lot like our own. They had beautiful houses and anything money could buy. Within a few short years, they had lost all of their worldly wealth and were forced to live on the least amount possible. They had to pool their resources, live in drafty old attics or sheds, and even then the Secret Police would find them and demand taxes, stealing the little bits they had left. It was a terrible time. This really happened. I know many of us live in America, home of the brave and land of the free. But things change, sometimes very quickly.

It may be wise to at least consider what we would do, should there be some great catastrophe. And, while we are considering--

Let us live the life we are enjoying today with tremendous gratitude towards God, the One who has so graciously provided it!


--Leslie



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8 comments:

  1. This is EXACTLY what we are teaching in our little community here in Warwickshire (UK).
    We are keeping alive old crafts, re-learning old skills and generally learning as a group to reuse and make do and mend. Good for you to raise the questions what would you do... and great work on the teacher's part. All power to her for making her class think beyond commercialism.

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    1. Yes, I specifically mentioned America, but I guess the same is true for much of Europe, as well. Thanks for your encouragement! :)

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  2. Great thoughts! I agree most people don't have a clue how to survive without depending on others. Maybe that's why it gives me contentment to make a garment or grow a meal for my family.

    Thanks for the post!

    Missy @ http://gracefullittlehoneybee.blogspot.com

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    1. Thank you! Yes, there is something very satisfying about caring for your family's physical needs. So often they feel like a chore, but we really should view them as a blessing :)

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  3. This is a great post! We all should make sure we are prepared for at least 3 days without power. I'd love it if you linked up this post at my new sustainable living link-up, Small Footprint Fridays!

    http://www.smallfootprintfamily.com/small-footprint-friday-sustainable-living-linkup-100512

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    1. Thank you! I will do that right now. Thanks for the invitation :)

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  4. Exactly true! We live in town, and my dh is not on the bandwagon, but I'm a bit of a prepper at heart, having grown up Mennonite, and in the 80s when I was a teen we stored up lots of food and canned all the time. I still can, but it's hard to keep motivated when your family isn't that interested. I'm trying!

    Natalia
    http://preputilityvehicle.blogspot.ca/

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  5. Oh, yes, we also sewed a lot and a lot of other basic skills. I have a sewing area and a lot of sewing supplies and the skills if I needed them, but it's time-consuming when you have blogging to do, you know? Haha!

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