Prepping Going From Surviving to Living Answers From the Past

One of the things I admire about some of the immigrant cultures that come to this country legally is that they understand that living as a whole they can have more then as individual with their own space. For one it creates a sense of community and provides a support system that we as Americans seem to have lost over the last century. That saying that it takes a village to raise a child is true in many ways.

Anyone who preps should focus on the pack or group mentality. Yes it can make you weaker with more people to think and worry about. Some may even fall short. What is important to remember here is that the more diverse the group the more you bring to the table to survive any type of catastrophic event. To be blunt you raise your odds. By pooling your resources you make your group as a whole stronger. Yes there will always be alpha males and that can be a hard thing to overcome. Lets face it many men want to be King. Getting past that though is what is important here. You can make decisions as a group or a whole that even though some may not completely agree with if you work at it can be extremely beneficial to all involved.

Think about it for a moment, one of the reasons the farming industry went through many of these upheavals was because the children grew up and left. Had they stayed and shared in the work and rewards of working together the outcome for many of the farms across this country could have been different.

In many cultures you will find 4 to 5 generations under one roof. Some of the members will go out to work providing a steady income while the other members take care of the elderly, children, and home. This dynamic has worked for thousands of years, making the burdens of work and downtime better for everyone. Now don’t get me wrong I am not talking cult here but a sense of family, helpfulness and over all security.

From the time we are young we are taught that we should want our own home, family and toys to amuse ourselves. Yet there are more Americans struggling today then ever before. Homelessness is still out there rising because it is harder and harder for people to make it on their own. So lets say A family with four siblings pulled their resources and cohabited under one roof. Yes you would need a bigger house with a decent sized yard, and you would have people around you  24/7 unless you were in your room. The plus to that would be you would always have extra hands to help keep and maintain your home. Someone to be there when your kids get sick, or your parents need care. As a group you are stronger. Your electric, gas, cable and phone would become singular instead of 4 separate. (Plus in my book) After working all day at your job you would come home to a meal and laundry done kids that were safe. You would have people who care about you to talk to about your concerns and thoughts. When it came time to take care of major things like the roof, putting in a fence or updating a bathroom the resources would be there to do so as would the man power. Here’s the scary part if you pulled your resources you might actually have money at the end of the day to do those things you want to do.  

Now every coin does have a flip side, so lets look at that also. You give up a lot of your privacy in many ways. People have ego’s and their will be times when tempers flare. You don’t get to be king of the castle, anymore that spot is shared by all. You're not always going to get your own way. (Wow hmm for some that could be hard) Anytime you have family living under one roof you have input on decisions you may feel are yours alone.

Here’s the thing, there are benefits and drawbacks to everything. Marriage is perhaps one of the biggest examples I can give. In many ways it is like a marriage of many. It does involve sacrifice and putting aside individual wants. So if you're a very selfish person who doesn't like to share with others sure this isn’t for you. If you focus on the singular point of view this isn't a good move for you. But isolation is hard because no one person is an expert in everything. Its about living not just surviving, gaining strength through knowledge and teamwork.

We are taught to be team players in the workplace so why wouldn't you want to be a team player in your prepping or your own life. There are ways to protect your self, your extended family and loved ones by pulling together. When other cultures can do it so effortlessly why wouldn't you? Why would you stubbornly refuse to learn from the harsher lessons life has shown us all.  Prepping is about preparing, so if you're serious change your thinking. Look outside of the box of what is considered normal. Perhaps its time we looked back into our own past and find that thread that made a family more than a single individual unit.  

So no matter what you're prepping for or what you believe, the message here is that there's safety in numbers. It is possible to work as a team but it does take work, sacrifice, and putting aside selfishness.