What is a Survivalist?

Recently, a conversation came up concerning groups of people waiting outside a sporting goods store to buy ammunition, arriving before the store was even open for business.  The person had the impression that these “Survivalists” wasted so much of their lives waiting for the once-in-a-lifetime, if ever, chance to defend themselves against their perception of the “bad guys.”  Sure, there’s plenty of bad guys out there to watch out for and, we still want to defend ourselves against them, but isn’t there more to survival than just physical confrontation?  

A Survivalist needs to do whatever it takes to protect their family.  Occasionally that may translate to keeping everyone safe from physical harm. It means being aware of your surroundings in order to take action in case of any potential dilemma.   On a day-to-day, more boring level, it may mean working hard to keep a roof over their heads and food on the table.  It means making sure children get educated in both average school subjects and practical skills.  

Survivalists teach their children that life is not always fair.  They teach that there are no set rules everyone is willing to follow and, that they have to think and decide for themselves which way their moral compass points.  Children also have to learn that in order to survive in this world the phrase “my way or the highway” will only lead to trouble down the road when working with others.  Sometimes, listening to additional suggestions and working toward a mutually agreeable compromise can lead to a better situation for all.  

Over the course of this last year, many people learned the hard way that being prepared is not such a bad thing after all.  Suddenly, having extra provisions on the pantry shelves and more than a day’s worth of toilet paper in the closet doesn’t make a person paranoid, nor does not waiting until the last dose to reorder medication.  Having an extra blanket or two along with some water and snacks in the family vehicle doesn’t seem so far-fetched in case of being stranded during a storm any more than a packed bug-out bag at the ready in case your home is no longer safe to stay in and evacuation is a must.  

It's been quite a year, between the Pandemic, wildfires, blizzards, and flooding.  We don’t know what is going to happen next but I think there are a number of converts to the concept of Survivalism and that they are not all hairy guys wearing plaid shirts living in a cave, feasting on roadkill, and beer.   

As The Survivalist, John Rourke taught us many years ago, “It pays to plan ahead”. 

Sharon