What do I need?

Today I was thinking “What do I need?  The answer is very little compared to what I have.

This brings me to today’s blog.  What is necessary to thrive?  We all need food, water, clothing, and shelter.  After that the list is non-existent.  I went through my house and looked at all the stuff I have.  All of it is useful to one degree or another.  But not all of it is necessary.  I like my hobbies such as knitting, sewing, spinning, and mechanical drawing.   I like that I have two sets of dishes; enough for ten people to sit down for dinner.  I think the most we have had over in the past three years is three people.  And that happened only once.  I have enough crystal glass ware for a bar and way too many books.  I sometime wonder is it possible to have too many books?   But that is another discussion.

When I was much younger could fit everything I owned into a ¼ ton pickup truck and leave without a care.  The last move took a 40 foot trailer and my wife left a lot of stuff behind when she packed up out house back east.  I have found I only missed a few of the things she left back east and then only on occasion.  I am now looking at starting a new career and trying to decide do I need everything in my house and yard?

I believe not.  I want to keep the garden tools and supplies the chain saw for cutting wood and my fiber arts tools and supplies as they are useful for making clothing and generally useful item for the house I would otherwise have to buy.  The shop tools are a good thing to keep. As they let me make some of the garden and greenhouse items that are necessary.  The TV, and half a dozen radios can go.   We rarely watch TV because in my opinion it is nothing more than propaganda and mindless drivel.  Reality TV???  What is this about?  I could go into a several hour-long rant on why TV is a total waste of time. But I will spare you the diatribe.  Radio is only marginally better.  There are stations that play decent music and I enjoy listening to the shortwave radio broadcast from different parts of the world.  During emergencies and natural disasters HAM radio is the best source of information.  I recommend everyone have a SW radio receiver.  A complete HAM radio setup is a good thing but they require more work and money than I feel is justified for me.

In a sustainable lifestyle I believe I need to let go of the unnecessary thing in my life.  If the grid goes down as many are predicting; all electric appliances are useless.  My fancy computer controlled gas oven and stove will be of little use since with no electricity there will be no gas to cook with.  I have an alternative to my stove and oven.  Electric lights will not work and heaters will be useless.  I have alternatives for all of these and I have paper books on various subjects to help my family thrive.  My neighbor across the street has a similar mindset and he prepared for a grid down event.  I cannot say the same for most of my other neighbors and friends.   This November when the doomsayers were predicting the grid will go down as part of Gridex 2013 I took the opportunity to check my stated of preparedness.  We have food, water, and fuel for a fire to heat and cook with.

So now I know I have too much stuff; what to do next?  Lighten the load to what is necessary.  I am looking at what I need:

• Food for two for at least a month.
• Water for two for a month.
• Season appropriate clothing for each person.
• Fuel for cooking and heating.
• Some type of light source (Candles, hurricane lantern, manual crank lantern…)
• Gardening tools and supplies.
• Medical supplies and necessary medicines for two months’ as a suggestion.

This is a very short list.  Now for the “What do I want list”:

• Books and paper for writing.
• Radio for information and entertainment.
• Hobby tools and supplies (mechanical drawing tools, knitting, sewing…  These kinds of hobbies can help thrive for bartering/trading)
• An alternative fuel vehicle for transportation; a pedal bike for getting around town.
• A couple of decks of cards or other portable games for entertainment purposes.
• For children you will want some favorite toy or stuffed animal to help them with anxiety.

There are many other things people will want to have.  This is just a short list of nice to have items.  Everyone will want to define their own needs and nice to have list.  Your location and time of the year will determine what you need to thrive.  I’m certain you will not need a heavy parka in Kansas in July.  You will need it in December.

I bring up these things so you can think about what you need and what you can walk away from if necessary.  Many people are acting as the proverbial ostrich and putting their head in the sand saying “It will never happen.”   I have found in my life whenever I have used a universally declarative statement the universe had taken a great pleasure in making me eat my words.  So I try to not use words such as always, never, everybody, and nobody.  I realize I have used this type of statement here in my blog.  I am certain one day the universe will conspire to make me eat these words also.  Till then I will wait and see.  The world is in a constant state of flux; changing to meet the current situation.  We as a race need to adapt to the changes so we can thrive.

In the end of the 1800’s people did not need cars and advanced communications equipment such as cell phones and WI-Fi enable computers.  They did not exist. People relied on each other and they talked to one another in person.  People now will send a text to a person in the same room.  Or they will email someone in the next office.  Whatever happened to talking to each other?  People do not need high-tech toys; we like having them and they are convenient.  We need to move forward to a state where we can rely on ourselves and our neighbors and not on a distant government.  The neighborhoods that band together and have everyone pull their own weight so to speak, by sharing resources and skills will be the ones that thrive.  I do not know when a situation will occur.  I just believe it will; as it has happened over and over in human history.  Many civilization have started grown and withered away over the millennium.  They all believed they would last forever.  Nothing last forever.

To close I hope we all thrive in the uncertain time ahead.  Rome lasted for nearly a thousand years with bread and circuses for the citizens.  We have the internet and mass-media entertainment.  They are very similar; they both distract us from the real problems.  We are facing many new and unprecedented challenges.  Never before have we had so many global challenges at one time.  It will all come down to each of us choosing to be ready and then acting on that choice.  As for me and my family we have chosen to look ahead and be ready not in fear but in hope.  We hope for a better world in the future and prepare for a time of change.  It is what I believe we all need to do as responsible citizen and members of the global community.  Plant a tree and then tend a garden.  These are two of the best therapies I know.