“All this preparation stuff isn’t necessary”

…said a local acquaintance I happened to see at the pub.

He went on to explain to me why time spent growing my own food, developing a support network of neighbors for emergencies, and getting to know my local farmers was a waste. I should be putting those hours into my (previous) high tech career and making boatloads of money instead, he told me. Then I could “just hire those farmers to come work for me whenever I wanted.”

After almost spitting out my beer, I asked him a few follow-up questions:

• Do you have a wood pile to warm yourself in the winter?
• Do you purchase insurance of any kind?
• Do you take vitamin supplements?

He answered Yes to all three questions; I congratulated him on being a prepper. He conceded and bought the next round.

Building resilience into your life is no longer something you can ignore given the state of our economy and (more importantly) the state of our planet. Money will become less valuable as first-hand farming knowledge and personal relationships become more valuable.

Chickens aren’t the only ones who are sticking their heads in the sand, as my friend showed me the other night at the pub.