21 things I’ve learned about preparedness in 2009

1. It sucks to be a prepper AND a perfectionist.  There will never be enough buckets of wheat or the right combination of hard white, hard red, and soft white.  We’ll never have enough ammo and there will always be, “just one more thing,” I need to put in our Bug Out Bags. 

2.  I’m not crazy.  As one well-known TV personality has described our uncertain future, “There’s a storm coming.”

3.  Ultimately, my faith is in God and His plan for my family, our nation, and our world.  Everything around me seems to be changing so rapidly that I’m not sure what my world will look like when everything has settled.  God’s word will never change, and it gives me confidence for each day and hope for our future.

4.  It’s easier to set priorities when I focus on preparedness basics.

5.  A stash of anything is useless if you don’t know how and when to use it.  Except for chocolate.  There can never be too much chocolate.

6.  After God, family is everything.

7.  Raising confident children with a self-sufficient mindset is more important now than ever.

8.  My preparedness efforts aren’t going to waste.  I’m investing in hard goods that will retain their value.  My family will make good use of those cans of chili beans, bags of pasta, and the twenty-two tubes of toothpaste, even if the apocalypse never becomes a reality.

9.  It’s unrealistic to think that all preppers will somehow be able to afford big plots of land up in Idaho, build zombie-proof homes and outbuildings, and suddenly have all the self-sufficient skills necessary for that lifestyle.

10.  It’s useless to try and persuade people who have made up their minds to ignore warning signs and continue to believe they live in Mayberry.

11.  It looks like we’re in for a much lower standard of living as a nation, and I might as well get started lowering mine now.

12.  There is still so much joy and beauty in life.  Whenever I doubt that, I just have to look at my children to be reminded.

13.  Preparedness includes storing dog food.  I’ve just gotta remember to put it up higher than the dogs can chew next time around.

14.  Every little bit adds up.  I didn’t store up 78 cans of ravioli overnight, but 4 or 5 cans every couple of weeks added up quickly.

15. Losing a home or a job no longer has the same stigma.  There seems to be a feeling of, “We’re all in this together,” so there’s no point in being judgmental toward someone facing eviction or long-term unemployment.  Next week, it could be us.

16.  I used to admire fashionably dressed and impeccably groomed women.  Now, when I see homely dressed women at the wheat and produce pick-up spots, I wonder what they could teach me about food preservation and living a more frugal life.

17.  It’s amazing how quickly kids get used to an adjustment in their reality.  Food storage and family outings to the shooting range are the new “normal” for my kids.

18.  There’s really no substitute for toilet paper.  It doesn’t have to be designer TP or two-ply.  One-ply will work just fine, thank you.  I’d rather have too much TP stored, even if it means getting rid of the boxes of brownie mix in order to make room.

19.  It’s not too late to begin preparing, but the sooner you begin, the better.

20. Tough times, really tough times, can hit anyone regardless of education, past income levels, and assets.

21.  Family and friends are everything.

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