Spread the message of survival this holiday season

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Posted by thesurvivalmom on Nov 23, 2009 in Be Prepared, Featured | 24113 comments2009-11-23+10%3A30%3A39thesurvivalmom

survival mom feature prepared 300x126 Spread the message of survival this holiday season

It was just a few days ago that I listed all the reasons to not discuss preparedness with others. Maybe the Holly Jollies are getting to me, though, because I’ve been thinking of ways to talk about preparedness with the relatives and friends I’ll see at get-togethers over the next few weeks. Yes, I’m willing to face possible rejection and ridicule. That’s how important I view this subject.

Bob Mayne, podcaster and blogger over at Today’s Survival, is a pro in the field of survival and sharing the topic of preparedness with others. One of his podcasts even featured this very topic. I recently had the opportunity to ask his advice

SurvivalMom: Bob, with the holidays coming up, some of us might view this as an ideal time to talk with family members and friends about the topic of preparedness. Do you think this is appropriate for holiday get-togethers? What guidelines would you suggest if someone wants to broach this subject over, say, Thanksgiving dinner?

Bob: Yes, it is an appropriate discussion because people are generally very talkative and, perhaps, more open minded early on in the Holiday season. The key is finding common ground that leads to a prepping discussion. Finding that common ground is critical to building a level of trust that lowers resistance. During this early segment of the conversation process, search for areas of interest you share with each person. The supply of topics is practically endless. For example, the kids, weather, sports, hobbies, or current events, or even some of the survival related topics we discuss every day. These are natural choices in human interaction. If you know the kind of work they do, you can always ask those types of questions as well.

Once you’ve established some rapport, gently use a personal example to illustrate a principle of preparedness. Here’s mine. Recently my wife and I ran out of coffee. I simply walked upstairs and took my box of Folgers Singles out of one of my food storage bins and saved a quick trip to the convenience store. Hopefully, friends might ask, “Why do you store food?” Now they’ve opened the door to this topic.

Another example I might relate involved my wife and her friend. Last week, they made a road trip from Dallas to Tucson. Before they left, I placed our “Travel Emergency Bag” into the trunk of her car, containing everything she and her friend would need to sustain them for 24 hours. Sure enough, they had to stop because the car’s alternator gave out. They enjoyed the food, water and supplies in the bag while waiting for the tow truck to pick them up.” This anecdote might lead to the question, “What is a Travel Emergency Bag?” Another open door.

SurvivalMom: Can you suggest some conversation starters for people who would like to bring up the subject of preparedness?

Bob: Some of the personal examples I mentioned in the previous question are good starting points. If you don’t have any of your own personal examples, do you know anyone else’s? People like to hear stories about other people. It’s a natural curiosity. If you want some good stories that aren’t your own, check out my Today’s Survival Forum. You’ll find a lot of them there.

SurvivalMom: I have a family member who is actually hostile to our family’s preparedness efforts. Is there any point in talking with someone like that? Why or why not?

Bob: In my humble opinion, no. No point in it. Why? Because I’ve personally found that they are the type of people that don’t change anything about their life until AFTER a disaster hits them. Some people are just that way. You will increase their hostility if you talk about it.

SurvivalMom: Is there a way to talk about preparedness without mixing it with politics? If so, how?

Bob: Yes. Ahead of time, think of personal stories, or stories of other people you know, of when you’ve had to use your survival supplies. I’ve always felt that people relate better to other people’s experiences. That’s not political at all. It gets the preparedness message across. Just don’t use political examples.

Survivalism really isn’t about politics because we cannot control what the politicians do. It’s about us. We can control what we do. Resist the temptation to discuss politics. Politicians don’t cause weather disasters, for example. So if you’re asked, discuss what you do if you lose power for several days. Pick preparedness topics that don’t have anything to do with politics. There are plenty of them. Food and water storage and exercise are good ones. Guns might be too sensitive of a subject and might start a political discussion. It’s probably best to stay away from that subject.

SurvivalMom: What suggestions do you have for keeping the conversation helpful and positive?

Bob: I’m a big fan of humor. Try to come up with funny stories and mix up the conversation with good clean, funny stories or jokes. Even if they are not survival related, people like to laugh, and then they relax, drop their guard and are more open minded. Now you’ve earned the right to ask, “You know, I’m just curious. Have the two of you ever talked about what to do if there was a local weather emergency in your neighborhood?”

SurvivalMom: When do you know to either drop the subject or not bring it up in the first place?

Bob: Read body language first. If they get fidgety or get up and leave, that’s a sign. Also, if they change the subject or act pre-occupied with something else, they’re probably not interested.

In closing, let me make this suggestion. Stick to one topic. Don’t overwhelm them if they are new to preparedness. Don’t start reciting your long list of preparations and the theories behind them. Keep it simple. My motto is, “Survival made simple, not extreme.”

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