… in an emergency?
And how helpful are you?
Yesterday’s emergency drill by Jake MacGregor got me pondering that old question.
In an emergency, or just generally in hard times, who helps you out and how helpful are you in turn?
If you’ve lived in the same neighborhood for a long time or if you have family in your vicinity, then you’ve probably got a pretty good start on answering this question. You know from long experience who’s reliable and who’s not, who’s trustworthy and who’s not. You know who’s got certain skills or tools. You know who can keep a steady head and who panics. And you know that, no matter how well prepared you are, those other people are going to matter to you, one way or another.
We who have no family … or who tend not to stay put … or who keep to ourselves … or who’ve just moved into a new area have a thornier problem.
Now, I personally, am blessed with wonderfully wide support group (you know who you are, guys). And “blessed” is the right word. But “wide” is the operative word; people I can rely on range from Massachusetts to South America. In any immediate, physical emergency, they and I aren’t going to be there for each other.
So just looking in the vicinity …
In Jake’s scenario, I wouldn’t be likely to turn to my immediate neighbors, nor (with a few exceptions) would I want them to turn to me.
I do have four people within 10 miles that I’d consider solid friends. In any emergency, they would reach out to me or I to them. That’s for sure. But beyond a “check-in” — “Are you okay?” “Have you got everything you need?” “If you need a place to stay …” — I’m not sure what would happen.
All four are aware people who have made at least some emergency preps. Three are far better off than me, financially (but would they be, if the banks closed and the ATMs went down?). That same three or their family members are DIYish enough to handle anything.
OTOH, only two of those three are seriously into preparedness. And only two (not the same two) live in what I would call secure locations.
In Jake’s scenario, one friend in particular (who is probably reading this blog right now) would be the likely survivor champ. She herself has outstanding skills and level-headedness that would make her among the most valuable members of any community in any emergency — and on top of that her family consists of three almost frighteningly bright, strong, and resourceful males.
In a Jake scenario, that family will be well able to take care of its own. But they’ll probably be called on to help out a lot of other people, too.
Yet, in a different sort of emergency — say an earthquake and tsunami — I would worry more about her and her family than any of my other friends because the place they live is just short of insanely dangerous, to my mind.
Another of the four has a heart of gold and would give her all to help others. But she’s physically the least well-prepared — and emotionally I’m not sure what she could handle. OTOH, because she’s such a loving, giving person, she has a huge potential support network — way beyond anything I’ll ever have (at least locally).
So who knows? All I know is something I’ve been saying all along; other people, including strangers, are more likely to be helpers than looters or hindrances.
I say I probably wouldn’t reach out to my immediate neighbors in an emergency or want them to reach out to me. But in reality it may turn out that even the &^%$#@! who blasts his &^%$#@! karaoke system all over the neighborhood or the people whose slaps and screams at their children can be heard by anyone passing under their windows might turn out to be good neighbors when push comes to shove.
But for them … I’ll carry openly so they’ll know there are limits.
And how about me? What sort of friend would I be to everybody else? Good question. Based on skills alone, I’d hardly be the person my friends would call first. I mean, seriously: writers and artists are strictly optional. But would I be valuable for keeping my head? For knowing something about preparedness? For extending a helping hand? For having tools or supplies others could use? For being watchful or properly suspicious when suspicion could be an asset?
This isn’t really about me, though. Or about my friends. I’m just using me and my circumstances as an example. When thinking of preparedness, we always tend to think of food, water, fuel, weapons, ammo — and forget that people are right up there in importance where our plans are concerned.
thanks Claire! I too have been working on the ‘naughty & nice’ list 🙂
Jake
This question comes up rather frequently on survival type forums. I have come to accept, to a certain degree, the concept that in truly hard times ahead most of our allegiance will become in some way tribal. It won’t neccessarily be along genetic lines, but will often be manufactured. The ancient irish/scottish conept of a clan might be a better understanding, they often included members that had no direct blood relations but were accepted due to circumstance or usefulness. For some people the tribe will be virtual (scattered across the globe), others it will be church, or fraternal organizations, some maybe organized around their work.
In my case I doubt I’ll be able to rely on my neighbors, with a couple of exceptions. The neighborhood is generally fractured, most people are renters and have a tendency to come and go. On the bright side, the few that I count as friends and can trust secure the flanks.
Tribe wise, my personal tribe consists of immediate family, a couple of those neighbors, two wandering Ronin that might be at the right place and time when SHTF, one mostly crazy neighbor and my elderly parents. In-laws of the married child might assist as well, they are tough and seasoned veterans for the most part. I also have the advantage of working with people that tend to come together in emergencies, but in true disaster they would be scattered and gathering their families.
I am used to relying on myself (sometimes to my detriment), with some assistance (often advice) from others. I know how to form and train a functional team, and do have a place I can fall back on for food, shelter and water.
We have nobody in our immediate area that we KNOW can be trusted at this point. If something big happened tomorrow, we’d have to drive x amount of miles one way, or x amount of miles the other way to a secure location with trusted folks of like mind. It’s a freaking horrible situation, and we are working on remedying it, but things never move as fast as you think they will, especially when only one of us has certain skills needed to accomplish our relocation goals, and he has a full-time job that takes him on the road constantly.
But like you said, there may be people living nearby who will surprise us – in a good way. The area has many immigrants from a country where they know a thing or two about survival.
As far as practical skills, I’m working on that. Having the right mindset is valuable. Perhaps that is a skill we often overlook.
My greatest concern is that SHTF happens when my other half is out of town. I am as prepared for that as possible, though I don’t like the idea of it.
I’ve lived in this community for a little over a year. There are some very nice, independent people here, and I’ve made several good friends whom I’d be willing to help, and who have offered to help me in the past (during a hurricane; fortunately no help was needed). They all are at least minimally prepared for disasters, and two are prepared at all times. The closest neighbors (not too close) are an unknown factor, they stay to themselves. There is a church next door, which may or may not be reliable depending on who utilized it and under what circumstances. My family and best friend live some 12 miles away, one of whom lives on secondary roads hard to get to under bad weather conditions.
I happen to know that my friends here in town can defend themselves, if necessary. How would they react in an all-out political SHTF scenario? I don’t know. I suspect there might be a lot of “every man for himself” in this and every town. How many people do you know who would “hide the Jews” or ‘intercede’ in a standoff?
Two of my friends here are old-fashioned Jeffersonian liberals, and two are simply rational conservatives who aren’t happy with how the country is going — even before Obama. None is libertarian/anarchist/freedomista, but all are humanitarian enough to care about their friends, their community, and how we are affected by laws and events that the politicos have put into action. Depending on their response to S hitting TF, I would certainly offer my assistance to each of them in whatever best way I could be effective.
I don’t have any space to spare, but in natural disasters, I would offer medical aid to anyone, and water and food to family and friends to the extent I had it to give.
This town is rather “western” in its attitude: You mind your own business, but when help is needed, I’ll be there if you will. That’s why I like it here.
Clair wrote, “I’ll carry openly so they’ll know there are limits.”
They’ll also know you’ve got something worth stealing. A trade off I’m not sure is worth it, better to keep People guessing?
I was told a true story about a man who lived in the old East Block of Europe during some very bad times. He rode to work on a bike with a rifle across the front and grenades dangling from both handle bars… now that’s carrying openly.
Myself, I think a “Jake scenario” would be a bit like after a blizzard. … I hope.
I’d be careful about the open carry thing. In the last year I’ve been going out of my way to look a big more scruffy and not look like the person who’s clothes would appeal to someone in rough times. In a related incident I took my rather pricey tin cloth Filson coat and rewaxed it to make it look older and dirtier. I was wearing it in a local supermarket one Saturday morning and a group of young people in their late teens-early 20s approached me and started uuuuhing and ahhhhing over my jacket. FAIL!!!
I’ve lived in this small mountain two for 32 years. My sons were born here and one still remains, although my youngest just moved to Wyoming. I have other family here and pretty deep roots and am fairly well known within the community. That’s why I remain. Horticulture is very important here, most grow their own, to include veggies. The male population is generally in the trades, is very independent, and anti guv. There’s a strong sense of community here. If you get cancer they’ll probably raise about $15,000 in a few months for you.
As for my own situation, there’s no doubt in my mind that the drugs that keep me alive will not be available for long after the SHTF. Even now they can be hard to get. I prepare and make ready for my sons and other family in the area. I’ve tried to prepare them and others for a long time. That’s all I can do.
My mom could be relied on through anything. She loves the Code of Hardyville, and thinks it’s neat that I keep researching self-sufficiency, when most of the family hoped it was a phase I’d grow out of when I was little.
My dad thinks “prepping” is an excuse for having a hoarding disorder. He thinks people should be forced to obey every law, no matter how petty. He once sprayed weedkiller on a neighbor’s lawn without their knowledge or permission, just because he thought the dandelions looked ugly.
My brother is a great programmer, and he loves theorizing about self-reliance, but he has so many allergies to the outdoors that he can’t even mow a lawn. And his wife turns green at any reminder that her food was once alive, even something as simple as the bones in her meat. My nephew wants to learn, but he rushes into things without looking so much, that I’m kind of afraid to teach him. Once he made himself sick pigging out on a wild plant after I told him that it was “edible in small amounts”. He ate it like he couldn’t stop himself, like it was a compulsion. It was scary.
The guy whose house is next to my land is such a buttinski that the town board once referred to him as “the agricultural terrorist”. He has been known to sabbotage people who he had minor disagreements with. (For example, he hid metal stakes in amongst another neighbor’s corn which nearly destroyed the man’s combine. He tried to fill the drainage ditch on my land with ashes. Etc.)
There’s a semi-retired sheriff who lives down the road from my land who seems pretty level-headed and anti-interference. And the town board in that area has been rewritting most of their codes and regulations solely to keep the feds from creeping in.
All in all, I think I’ve got a mixed bag.
“I mean, seriously: writers and artists are strictly optional.”
Hmm…seems to me that being able to think outside the box would be a mighty valuable skill if one were, uh, outside the box.
I live in a unit in a 4 plex in an area of many 4 plexes so there is a regular turn over of renters.
I’m seriously limited in what I can do physically due to health issues, and I’ve been lucky for several years to have a young couple in one of the other units where the guy has been nice and has done little things for me that I can’t do. Other than them there isn’t any one else in the area that I might help or ask for help if the SHTF.
However even they are an unknown element in a true SHTF situation. I would have to be in desperate straits to ask. Even if they were okay, their friends might not be.
I have kept all my preps low key and none of the neighbors know about my efforts.
This is one I had to read, digest, and come back to a few times.
I am very willing to help, but I hate to impose. Or feel like I am imposing. My family helps me out- mostly financially. I help out with tasks they can’t do themselves. And I offer to give “prep” advice. Which is sometimes taken and other times not. But either way, I think I have shown a willingness to help out that may be good if they want it, as long as it isn’t too late.
I don’t mean to be, but I guess I am scary enough in appearance (and because of my height, I have been told) that no one messes with me. Usually.