Recently I was thinking, as I often do. And like it has occasionally over the past year or so, my mind wandered upon the idea that I am woefully unprepared, should some calamitous disaster - be it natural or induced by man - radically impact the world I live in. An earthquake, perhaps. Or a nuclear winter. Maybe freak weather, like a hurricane, tsunami, massive earthquake, or radical climate shift. A poisoned water system, or even just a disastrous turn in the economy that throws society into a tailspin.

I hope, of course, nothing like any of these scenarios will strike in our lifetimes. Perhaps something awful could happen, but collectively as a society we will be able to deal with it well, minimizing strife, loss of life and other hardships that might follow.

But maybe we won’t. What would I do then?

That question, when I ask it to myself, induces a raw sense of urgency that otherwise is completely absent. And why shouldn’t it be? After all, we live in a world of plenty. Shelter, food, water, clothes, sunshine, music, and safety abound. We are surrounded by the fruits of industry: buildings, roads, cars, entertainment, fresh fruits, low prices, cheap fuel, technology, iPhones, parties, and a million other desires and treats at our fingertips. What… me worry? Indeed, often there seems little sense in expending any effort fretting about some dark day that may never come. And usually I don’t.

But occasionally I do wonder if my nonchalance may one day prove foolish. OF course it is short-sighted to have only enough food to last me through next week; just enough water to make it through the weekend. I’ve no generator, no spare fuel, no cupboard full of dry goods. The question is whether I’ll ever have to pay a price for for my levity?

Especially after reading xtina’s latest post on gardening, I am reminded of the web of interdependence that I take for granted daily. I blindly accept the proposition that all the comforts and conveniences we enjoy today will always be there. And yet, it is obviously not so. Just last month, my colleagues in Charlotte were in a constant state of anxiety as the local gasoline supply dried up. People literally could not find gas, for weeks on end. It wouldn’t take much to disrupt our supply chain and render some essential resource difficult or impossible to aquire.

So what can we do about this?

My conclusion: become a survivalist. Methodically procure key provisions necessary to survive, without shelter, for a month or two. Water, food, and toiletries are obvious. Batteries, flashlights, matches, candles, are other essentials. To some degree this is merely common sense. Whether one labels it such or calls it ’survivalism’ is largely a product of degree, I imagine. Should I consider things like self defense, a safety shelter, or, say, a stash of seeds and agriculture equipment?

I am not yet prepared to commit to the more extreme tenets of survivalism. But I do intend to make some common-sense provisions so that, should something catastrophic happen, I won’t be caught completely off guard. Perhaps over time I will endeavor to learn new skills and procure more serious equipment. But first, how about some water jugs and canned beans.

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There are metric crap tons of survivalist info on teh interwebs, and I have no idea which ones are of any use or not, ergo the dearth of links here.