Hello my friend and welcome back! I live in South Central Louisiana and in the midst of this historic flood, I often find myself thinking this may not be SHTF, but it sure as hell feels like it! I, like so many others, have lost my home and many of my possessions. I am not alone, as there are hundreds, if not thousands, like me but who had no insurance at all. This got me thinking about SHTF and what I can learn from this disaster. This is also the topic of today’s post so grab a cup of coffee and have a seat while we visit.
It is starting to feel like all I talk about lately is water. Whether it’s testing it for purity or those who have been hurt through flooding, there is a lot of talk about water here in South Louisiana. The truth is that it does feel and look like SHTF has actually hit and I am trying to deal with the aftermath of it. I decided to use it as an opportunity to study the people I come in contact with, to see what I can learn from both them and myself in the middle of all of this.
Let me start with the many people I have come in contact with. The first thing is that there weren’t as many variations as I would have expected. There were basically 5 groups that everyone seems to fall into.
The first group is the “Criers’” (no disrespect intended) who just couldn’t seem to stop crying long enough to do much of anything. These were the most distressing of all to me, as they seem to be bordering on the edge of a mental breakdown and were completely lost. Some of the people who showed these traits surprised me. People who always seem so sure of themselves just fell to pieces and couldn’t seem to get it together no matter how hard they tried. I have actually seen a few Preppers who fall in this group, I’m sorry to say.
And then there are the “Zombies”, these are the ones who just simply cannot accept what has happened to their world and walk around with that thousand mile stare. When they look at you, you can see that they have retreated deep inside themselves. Their eyes show that no one is home, when you look at them. They have lost all hope and see no way forward.
There are the “Criminals” here as well. Because the Criminals know that cops can’t get to certain areas because the roads are closed or their just overwhelmed with everything that is happening as well, Criminals do what they want. They see this as an opportunity to do what they want without reprisal. Steal, rape, whatever they want and while a few groups of them have been caught, many more get away with their crimes.
There are the “Leaders”. They are people who find it inside themselves to rise to the challenge and use their inner strength to help those around themselves. While suffering their own loss, they use their anger with what has happened to drive them on. In the case of most SHTF events, these will be the survivors. People rally around them even though they would never ask them too. Great leaders are not born, but rather rise from the ashes of a disaster to lead the people to safety.
The last groups are the “Angels” the ones who manage to escape the flood and are trying to help the less fortunate. Whether they are from the Red Cross or a local Church, they are a Godsend and if it were not for them, I feel there would be many more “Zombies” than there are now. Granted, in a Major Disaster where everyone is affected, there would be no one to take their place.
Let me also add, that while I hear Media, BLM and hundreds of other groups who promise to help, they are nowhere to be found. In a time of crisis, people don’t really seem to care about the color of a person’s skin, but tend to focus on just helping as many as they can. In the end, it will be just us helping each other and the Red Cross volunteers who seem to care so much that saves us. While the US Government talks about how they are mobilizing efforts to help us, we have seen no such help here in Lafayette which is a major city here in the Gulf Coast State. For now all we have seen is talk and nothing more. People in small towns still waiting on food and water since August 13th.
So, exactly what have I learned from all of this? That being a Prepper can help, but it is no guarantee that you will make it when the time comes. If people fall apart or come unhinged from something like a flood, then many more will simply lose it altogether in a major crisis. If you truly want to survive a major SHTF event then you need to prepare yourself mentally and be totally honest with yourself.
The single best piece of advice I can give you is to not get attached to anything you have. Whether it’s your home to your Preps, don’t get attached. In a blink of an eye they can be gone and you may be left with nothing but the clothes on your back and your go bag. The most common words I have heard from people is “Everything is gone, what am I going to do now?” It’s this attachment to things we own that seems to be what hurts us the most. Have a plan if you are suddenly stuck with nothing at all. Learn everything about surviving in the wild, from what plants to eat to how to build a fire and a shelter out of nothing but what is lying around you.
Learn how to live with nothing, so that when you lose everything, you will still be able to survive and function. Well that is it for today and I hope you will learn from experience, so until next time, stay safe, stay strong and stay prepared. God Save America!
-Sarge-
http://www.americanpreppersonline.com/may-not-shtf-sure-hell-feels-like/
