As a self-described “Orthodox Prepper”, that taught military students the danger of a Carrington-like events decades ago, I think you’re dead-on in emphasizing the necessity of community in such a crisis! However, I do think practically it has to go well beyond simply socializing, or having fellowship in order to have an effective fallback should our infrastructure get damaged by manmade or natural events. A community of unprepared individuals will end up being little more effective in trying to come to terms with and function effectively in such an incident. It takes a deliberate planning and consolidated resources to access wells for water (since so many water meters are IoT or smart sensor enabled), operate alternative sources of electricity and power, gain access to wood and wood burning stoves… all equally necessary in such situations. But even more important than physical preparation is mental and spiritual preparation, as we learned during Covid lockdowns. Learn to pray, to worship should access to a priest become impossible. Have printed resources on hand should the internet go down… many more practical ideas to offfer. But again, great article that brings up a key point!
Thank you Robin. I’m a singer songwriter and found you through your salvo essays Grit & Godliness and Is Country Music Making Us Weak. As an artist and a poet living in rural WA state I’m struggling to find embodied community both creatively and spiritually. I appreciate the practical steps at the end and intend to continue to work to be intentional with seeking out embodied community. Thanks for the encouragement to continue onward. ❤️
Rural areas used to be rich in embodied community, and also rich in art (consider how much of our folk art and music arose out of rural areas), yet after the isolation caused by the TV and now our hand-held devices, this is no longer the case and, ironically, it is sometimes easier to find community to more urban areas. Moreover, I have found that because people in rural areas often have blue collar jobs that allow for constant podcast and YouTube consumption while at work, it can lead to a detachment with reality and even delusion. I lived in a small village in Northern Idaho for eight months before moving to my present location in Northern Virginia, and while I thought this village would offer an older way of life, I found people were MORE plugged into the chatter of the internet then the people nearer the large cities. So I can understand your challenge. Hopefully some of my suggestions can work for you, perhaps with one or two individuals in your life.
House of Gold (Bud MacFarland) is a fun thought-experiment about when the "machine stops." I would be skeptical about over-estimating the charity of others under a scenario like that. People get funny when their stomachs growl and the toilets won't flush.
As a self-described “Orthodox Prepper”, that taught military students the danger of a Carrington-like events decades ago, I think you’re dead-on in emphasizing the necessity of community in such a crisis! However, I do think practically it has to go well beyond simply socializing, or having fellowship in order to have an effective fallback should our infrastructure get damaged by manmade or natural events. A community of unprepared individuals will end up being little more effective in trying to come to terms with and function effectively in such an incident. It takes a deliberate planning and consolidated resources to access wells for water (since so many water meters are IoT or smart sensor enabled), operate alternative sources of electricity and power, gain access to wood and wood burning stoves… all equally necessary in such situations. But even more important than physical preparation is mental and spiritual preparation, as we learned during Covid lockdowns. Learn to pray, to worship should access to a priest become impossible. Have printed resources on hand should the internet go down… many more practical ideas to offfer. But again, great article that brings up a key point!
As a self-described “Orthodox Prepper”, that taught military students the danger of a Carrington-like events decades ago, I think you’re dead-on in emphasizing the necessity of community in such a crisis! However, I do think practically it has to go well beyond simply socializing, or having fellowship in order to have an effective fallback should our infrastructure get damaged by manmade or natural events. A community of unprepared individuals will end up being little more effective in trying to come to terms with and function effectively in such an incident. It takes a deliberate planning and consolidated resources to access wells for water (since so many water meters are IoT or smart sensor enabled), operate alternative sources of electricity and power, gain access to wood and wood burning stoves… all equally necessary in such situations. But even more important than physical preparation is mental and spiritual preparation, as we learned during Covid lockdowns. Learn to pray, to worship should access to a priest become impossible. Have printed resources on hand should the internet go down… many more practical ideas to offfer. But again, great article that brings up a key point!
What a wonderful article!!! Well done, Robin! 💯
Thanks for the encouragement!
Thank you Robin. I’m a singer songwriter and found you through your salvo essays Grit & Godliness and Is Country Music Making Us Weak. As an artist and a poet living in rural WA state I’m struggling to find embodied community both creatively and spiritually. I appreciate the practical steps at the end and intend to continue to work to be intentional with seeking out embodied community. Thanks for the encouragement to continue onward. ❤️
Rural areas used to be rich in embodied community, and also rich in art (consider how much of our folk art and music arose out of rural areas), yet after the isolation caused by the TV and now our hand-held devices, this is no longer the case and, ironically, it is sometimes easier to find community to more urban areas. Moreover, I have found that because people in rural areas often have blue collar jobs that allow for constant podcast and YouTube consumption while at work, it can lead to a detachment with reality and even delusion. I lived in a small village in Northern Idaho for eight months before moving to my present location in Northern Virginia, and while I thought this village would offer an older way of life, I found people were MORE plugged into the chatter of the internet then the people nearer the large cities. So I can understand your challenge. Hopefully some of my suggestions can work for you, perhaps with one or two individuals in your life.
House of Gold (Bud MacFarland) is a fun thought-experiment about when the "machine stops." I would be skeptical about over-estimating the charity of others under a scenario like that. People get funny when their stomachs growl and the toilets won't flush.
As a self-described “Orthodox Prepper”, that taught military students the danger of a Carrington-like events decades ago, I think you’re dead-on in emphasizing the necessity of community in such a crisis! However, I do think practically it has to go well beyond simply socializing, or having fellowship in order to have an effective fallback should our infrastructure get damaged by manmade or natural events. A community of unprepared individuals will end up being little more effective in trying to come to terms with and function effectively in such an incident. It takes a deliberate planning and consolidated resources to access wells for water (since so many water meters are IoT or smart sensor enabled), operate alternative sources of electricity and power, gain access to wood and wood burning stoves… all equally necessary in such situations. But even more important than physical preparation is mental and spiritual preparation, as we learned during Covid lockdowns. Learn to pray, to worship should access to a priest become impossible. Have printed resources on hand should the internet go down… many more practical ideas to offfer. But again, great article that brings up a key point!