Received an e-mail from Tecumseh: Hey Urban Man, I was disappointed not to see any coverage on the 21 May The End Of The World As We Know It prediction. I remember when you tried to scare everyone before Christmas I think.
UrbanMan replies: Tecumseh, first of all 21 May was not my prediction - it was some religious nut's call,.....and I never have had the intention of scaring anyone. It may seem some sort of noble cause to scare people in order for them to get their act together and start prepping, but the "accordian effect" comes into play where people get jerked with multiple threat streams, get tired of leaning forward, then get complacent enough to ignore important events or indicators, then are caught with their pants down.
It's kind of like athletics,...you can't always be in tip top shape. You ebb and flow in regards to upcoming competition or events. I think that's the way I approach survival preparation.
I have baseline preps across the major needs of food, water, shelter and security (protection). I try to keep track of many indicators. When those indicators start to lean to a possible event that may plunge us into chaos or a collapse,...or maybe not plunge us but certainly make us pick up speed towards TSHTF, then I will do a couple things: ensure all my vehicles and (some or all) of my spare fuel cans are filled up; maybe buy some extra cases of bottled water as you can never have enough water.
I have a habit of carrying a small notebook and pen with me everywhere. You never know when a solution to some thought or problem that has been incubating in your mind pops up. So I am always jotting notes of things I realize I may need but may not be available either due to supplies or the threat environment. I use the lead in time to procure some things like this. In fact, just the other day I realized that I have broke my round file to sharpen chain saw blades,...so a round file goes on my list,....then last week when this 21 May TEOTWAWKI crap comes up. Rather than just ignore it, I make a trip to the gas station fuel up, stop by the hardware store an buy a two round files among other things.
But life goes on for me. My family and I rent movies, eat out at our favorite restaurants, spend money on things that have no real survival purpose like fashionable clothes or shoes for the girls.
Doesn't mean I walk around like John Q. Thirty Five years of carrying guns and being aware make it second nature. In fact two nights ago, I saw a care drive by my house slowly. Twenty minutes later the same car with one 20 something year old white, male, brown hair, black ball cap and sunglasses drive by again and stopped about two houses away facing my house.
Out the back door, over the fence, paralleling my street then I approached this car, using my cell phone camera to take a picture of the license plate, like a traffic stop. The boy was a college student doing home appraisals for an insurance company. When I was satisfied, I went back the way I came so we would not know where I live. So I guess the moral of this story is to prepare well; hope like hell nothing happens (except maybe a new government!); be cautious - look, act, and be a hard target, but keep living life.
