There was a time when the average person was fairly resilient and resourceful. Men and women had a fair amount of knowledge about how to deal with unforeseen circumstances that they may encounter. They knew “stuff happens” and weren’t completely helpless when it did. They didn’t have the luxury of a cell phone, a credit card, and a convenience store on every corner. They also tried very hard not to spend unnecessarily, and the best way to accomplish that was to be able to fix things; reuse repurpose recycle. Knowledge alone was not enough, so they also carried a few basic accoutrements to aid in said endeavor. Your great grandmother didn’t view her purse a fashion statement designed to carry some overpriced designer sunglasses.

There was also the way they looked at life – the way they thought and approached life. There was no one to bail them out of their bad choices; they were accountable for the outcomes of their decisions.

Don’t put all your eggs in one basket, Put some away for a rainy day, Do unto others as you would have them do unto you, Patience is a virtue, Waste not, want not; Have you no shame?; Have you no honor?; Shame on you

Being resilient means a return to accountability. It means if you don’t work, you don’t eat. If you squander what you have, you will then go without. It means the perpetual adolescence is over, it is time to grow up and act like an adult. Our parents and grandparents provided for their families, they didn’t rely on the government or their own parents to provide for their needs. They took action. They knew that sitting around watching other people live their own lives was not living. They also knew that they were entitled to little beyond their right to self-determination.

04/02/13 Tuesday – ACTIONS TAKEN TOWARD RESILIENCE

An Update – I should make note that I no longer have a spouse to contend with when making decisions regarding my prepping. She got tired of struggling so she moved out (like the struggle going on is somehow my fault). I am, however, still saddled with serious money and time constraints.

– Last Wednesday I had my saliva gland removed – a surgery I have been putting off for years. Start getting all medical procedures handled before it becomes too cost prohibitive, before insurance starts covering even less and less than they do now, or while you still have insurance at all. The future of health care is uncertain, insurance is not getting any better, and neither is getting any cheaper.

– The second week of March (3/10/13?) I sent off my completed application for a Virginia non-resident Concealed Carry Permit. It took me several weeks to get it completed. One day I took the training course and requested the application (it has to come through the mail, but you can make the request via email). I had to take a day off work to get my fingerprints done. Once I had saved up all the fees I would need for processing I got my money order and passport photos. You can get passport photos at CVS, btw, so I got my money order and passport photos at the same time.

– Yesterday I ordered 4 more Sanyo Eneloop rechargeable batteries. As I replace dead batteries with rechargeable I find that I have more things utilizing batteries than I realized. Recharging is far less expensive, and far more convenient, than buying new batteries. I also don’t have to worry about running out or there being a run on the stores during a power outage. I can run the charger off of my inverter.

– I also bought some spare batteries for my glucose meters

– Saturday my 9 year old and I started our lacto-fermented pickles. This is a good prepping skill for gardeners, and lacto-fermented food is very good for you.

– The last Saturday of March I bought a tomato plant, peppermint plant, and basil plant. I put the mint and basil in the ground where they won’t get that much of the Texas sun. I’m experimenting right now because I don’t know what the best places in my yard are for the various things I want to grow. In a couple of weeks I will buy another tomato, basil, and mint plant and then I will plant them in a different location. I want the tomato plants to go into the ground at the same time so late planting can be ruled out as a cause of failure.