10) Provident Living series #5 Why Grow a Garden When 'The World is Going to Pot'?

By Sindy Wakeham

 I’m adding this topic to my Provident Living series because things have got a bit out of hand and it’s ‘hit the fan’ in the past months. Forget about the elections distracting us from what’s been going on. I’ve never seen such crazy goings on in reality. It’s always been consigned to conspiracy theories and propaganda.  Not anymore.

I’m tempted to just turn off the TV and in fact, we don’t watch much anymore. WE tend to stream documentaries, favourite movies and more than anything else, YouTube videos, far more helpful. Then we hear the news on the radio while driving and I’m thinking, WE really need to pay attention instead of burying our heads in the sand.

The last month has been a slap in the face. At the same time we have election spin and the new UK Gov Prepare website which is not new by the way. Talk about being prepared for general emergencies that ‘could’ happen in your area or home. Preppers and non-peppers alike are suspicious about the timing of the update in light of elections and what’s threatened globally and everyone’s going ‘WTF?!?’

So I’m putting the link in here; https://prepare.campaign.gov.uk/

Thankfully, the site is very clear that it’s about being prepared for emergencies more likely to happen in any time. It gives general preparedness advice as far as assessing your own situation and the area you live in.

As far as I’m aware these things are NOT new. I have, myself made a number of YouTube videos talking about ‘appropriate’ preparedness. I’ve also said that there will be no doomsday prepping in my house! To be honest, I’m quit tempted at the moment to go full on but only for the reason that I’m more concerned for the lunatic actions of politicians and leaders globally.  Don’t worry, my budget won’t allow crazy to take over.

I’m more concerned about the general public going into fear mode and repeating the events of 2020 (where will we get loo roll?!?). I’m more concerned about people putting aside their humanity and behaving in selfish, hoarding behaviours let alone the behaviours that surrounded Brexit. The abuse hurled at anyone appearing to be non-British.  My husband and I were on the receiving end of some of that even though we are British with foreign accents.

I am more concerned about the rhetoric in election campaigns dividing people, exacerbating the disunity already plaguing our country. Which makes the timing of the reminder to prepare suspicious and it spurs the human tendency to panic and make things worse.

Back to the website, there is too much information for me to share here and it is actually very sensible. It’s not the first time this government advice has been given. The website was updated on the 23^rd and I’m sure released again in light of current situations. So that makes it twice we have been advised officially. It’s been needed long before now so why the update right now?

I find it vindicating for many of us who have been living providently or at least trying to for decades while being branded as crazies and being laughed at. We’ve been dismissed as fundamentalists and sure, there have been some folk who actually are motivated by fear.

I’ve had people say they want me for their survival buddy if SHTF. My reply is, if you’re relying on me, you might fall short because I’m not that kind of prepper. I don’t know it all. I’m not completely prepared for any proper emergency or at least not as well as I’d like to be so if you are relying totally on me, you’ll be disappointed.

I’m afraid it’s family first then immediate neighbours and community. We are each responsible for our own welfare AND to those around us who are not able to do these things. I’ll add in here, if I see someone in need, I’m not turning them away (it’s not in my nature), but what then? We all run out even sooner.

The best way to make sure you are resilient and able to cope with whatever life throws at you is to work out you OWN self-reliance and that includes Provident Living. It helps to encourage your extended family members and your neighbours to do the same.

Please don’t go scare-mongering. Humans have the instinct to avoid anything that threatens our peace and comfort. We avoid overbearing people and those who’re over-zealous in any topic. So avoid being overbearing, over-zealous and extreme.

There are a number of churches and organisations that have been encouraging people for many decades, especially since the 20^th century Great Depression, to live prudently, avoid and get out of debt, save for the future, put away in storage a year’s supply, grow a productive garden and gain all the education and experience in all life and survival skills possible.

Do these for resilience, peace and the ability to cope with the normal storms of life, whether man made, natural or just due to the nature of mortality (sickness, disability, planning for later life care, and wills etc.). It’s just good sense. 

I have mentioned in almost every blog, podcast and video so far that mindset is the key. You can come at ‘prepping’ from a negative angle, preparing in a fearful doom and gloom direction, or you could come at it from a stance that if I am living providently, getting out of debt, storing up for a rainy day, spending modestly and growing my resilience (and garden) and skills to be able to do as much as possible, then I will be able to help others and my security will be in their security.

There will be no fear or losing my humanity. Of course not everyone will think the same way and it would be naive to think that our emergency supplies will be safe and our nearest and dearest will even follow our examples.

Let’s just stay calm but be proactive. Follow the sensible advice. Assess what you have, what you would need for a three day emergency supply and then at least a 3 month supply to keep you going in a longer lasting emergency.  I think I have at least that but would love to go as far as storing for a whole year. NO! I’m not going to be hoarding loo roll! There’s just no space for it in a suburban council house.

Look at what you actually use. Don’t buy tinned peas if you don’t eat peas. In fact, don’t buy canned peas at all! They are nasty! Instead, think about the season you are going into and store for it.  Below is a general idea of what might be a good idea to store. Adapt to your own needs and situation.

 

What situation would you be in if you needed to rely on emergency storage and plan for that?

Let’s get real, people would rather trade for food than loo roll! Be kind and avoid stripping shop shelves. You are not the only person relying on the little they can afford to buy for their normal daily needs, let alone put aside. Besides, there are many ways to replace or rethink what we believe we NEED.

Do read the guidance on the website and let it guide your own needs. Being prepared for any relevant emergency can be just as much a life-saver to us as the ark was to Noah and his family.

“The revelation to produce and store food may be as essential to our temporal welfare today as boarding the ark was to the people in the days of Noah”. (Ezra Taft Benson)

CONCLUSION

Being resilient to wether whatever the nutters in charge concoct, whatever nature or life in general throws at us, while the world ‘goes to hell in a hand basket’ brings peace and relief. While you are working out your plans and implementing them remember to... Keep Calm and Grow a Garden!

Do it for all the reasons mentioned in previous blogs and videos.  It’s the silent and peaceful but powerful revolution nobody’s promoting instead of their angry urge for power, revenge, ego, control and greed (all scarcity mindset stuff by the way).

Remember those rules of the mind? Move toward the outcome you want to see and have.

Next chat will be on health and wellness in these challenging times what we can do as crazy continues.