Hello, my friend and welcome back! I was contacted by the producer of Documentaries for the British Broadcasting Company (BBC) and asked a very pointed question about what Prepping really is? Without all of the hype and bolstering? This is the subject of today’s post and I hope you enjoy it. Grab a cup of coffee my friend and have a seat while we visit.
The question was simple enough, but as I went to answer her, I stopped and thought about what was being asked again. There were all kinds of definitions popping into my head, but how exactly do you condense it down to a few sentences and still capture the true spirit of Prepping. I was stumped and I think the lady on the other end of the phone probably thought I was an idiot.
I mean I could have simply said that “Prepping is the saving up of food, water, and supplies of all kinds to allow a person or group of people to survive any given disaster”. While accurate, it doesn’t really capture the true spirit of Prepping. Prepping is about so much more, like learning new skills that have been lost through time, in many ways. Learning to live as our Great Grandparents did so very long ago.
It’s about learning to be a jack of all trades and master of none. It’s about learning to be a Dr. or Dentist when there are none around. It’s about learning to use firearms and figuring out what you need to have on hand. For some people, it’s about learning to Hunt, Fish, and Cook your catch for the first time. No, it’s about so much more than just saving up supplies for a disaster. It’s about people who are willing to be laughed at in order to do something they believe in.
I have yet to meet a Prepper yet that was not a strong individual. We are willing to go against the current for something we believe in. It’s about seeing the world as it is and not as we want it to be. It’s about having enough faith in mankind to be willing to go on when so many will not. It’s having faith in yourself and God and knowing that we all still have work to do before we rest.
Prepping is a higher calling and just like the Religious leaders, it’s a lifestyle that we willingly embrace and practice every day. We do it knowing we may never reap the rewards of our labor, but knowing the sacrifice is worth it. We are a unique group of people who like the pioneers of old are willing to face the hardship of the future because they know they are tough enough to handle it.
OK, so how do we sum up or define exactly what Prepping is? Is it a religion, or just a way of life? I know people who would argue both sides of that question. Prepping is so many things to so many different people, that it’s harder to define exactly what it truly is.
It seems like it’s a little different for each of us when it comes right down to it. I have looked up the definitions in Webster’s Dictionary, as well as other online dictionaries. The ones that actually have the word listed in them that is, and I didn’t agree with any of their definitions. No, it seems almost like trying to describe the word hate by saying “It’s when you don’t like someone.” While it is accurate, it grossly misses the spirit of the word.
So just how do I define the term Prepping? I’m not really sure I can fully define it but here is my definition of Prepping:
“PREPPING:
Prepping is the practice of storing up supplies, tools and even seeds by remarkable people in order to prepare for any disaster. People who plan to not only survive but to actually thrive,even when those around them perish from lack of foresight. Prepping is a lifestyle, a religion, a way of looking at the world and recognizing the dangers we all face each and every day while taking necessary steps to overcome the challenges which lie ahead. Prepping is true freedom.”
Well, that’s my definition anyway, and if you have one that you think is better, please comment below and let me hear it.
Well that is it for today and I truly hope you have enjoyed today’s post, and until next time my friend, stay safe, stay strong and stay prepared. God Bless America!
-Sarge-
You stated prepping exactly, maybe you could have added the ant and the grasshopper for humor;but prepping is a serious topic but a great article once more.
Spot on, I don’t feel so badly now. All my friends and family make fun of me when I talk about prepping. I had given them some short term food supplies for Christmas and they made fun of me again. They live in an oblivious bubble to what is going on around them. I am an ant and they are the grasshoppers. My husband just woke up to reality during the last election process. I had already stockpiled a years worth of food, now he is taking it seriously. Best wishes~
Hang in there, you’re not alone! 🙂
good post thank you. i suppose that i have been a preppier sins i was just a small kid , raised in England during the second world when food and every ting else was rashioned and every thing was recycled, unwittingly i have been prepping ever since.
There are a lot of people who are Preppers and don’t even realize it. Thank you!