I have been down in the south of the country staying with the in-laws for a few days. Lovely people they are, good looking, large bank accounts, beautiful large home, perfect children. The garden is big enough for a very, very decent survival garden, the koi carp in the pond would provide several very decent meals and the woodburner is flat topped not a stove built for cooking but a decent sized flat area that could be utilised as such.
This wonderful place is on the outskirts of a small town, set back off the road with a high spiked hedge at the front and nasty plants and trees on the other three sides, it’s a detached property standing on a full half acre. A fantastic place to live at any time and a very nice location and set up for when the rest of the country finally falls.
There is only one problem. They do not believe in the possibility that their world could come tumbling down around them. Like many high earners in seemingly secure jobs they think they are safe, and will continue to be safe on an on-going basis.
After one to many comment regarding me getting a “proper” job rather than just studying for a degree, raising my child and working ad hoc when the hospitals require me I finally told them about this blog, and mentioned that some major players, and some not so major players in the alternate media had published some of my work. “but you don’t make money from it so what’s the point? ” was the answer from most of them. The rest kept quiet and smiled, embarrassed at having someone in the family who could hold such views.
“actually your wrong there” I announced knowing how foolish I was going to sound when mentioned Adsense and that I had actually made enough to buy a six pint container of milk that week. The sister-in-law nodded, a sickly smile on her face. “riggghhhtttt” she said quietly.
“so it’s more of a vocation than a job” added brother in law. It wasn’t a question, more of a statement of fact. Everyone else sat quietly looking at the pedigree cat, pedigree dogs and pedigree children. At this point one of pedigree children demanded a glass of milk. Sister in law walked to her beautiful kitchen and opened the fridge. ” mommy will ask daddy to go to the shop in a minute darling, would you like apple juice instead?” turning to brother in law she said she would write a list as they needed a few basics, just bread, milk, breakfast cereal and some blueberries would be nice.
My 7 year old looked horrified. ” we NEVER run out of anything” she said quietly. “mommy makes sure of it. What if you had an emergency and couldn’t get to the shops?” the adults giggled nervously. “We couldn’t get to the shops when it snowed last year (it was actually the year before) and when mommy fell down the stairs and couldn’t drive we couldn’t go out for ages but it was okay” (it was four days but it seems it felt like ages) she went on to tell them about us making the bread when we were snowed in and getting long life milk from the back of the cupboard. “there’s always something at the back of the cupboard” she added finally. (This proves my point that kids talk, she has no reason to know about the food storage I have all over the house, telling her there is stuff in the back of the cupboard suffices.)
The conversation started up again when the kids were in bed. They were curious in an odd, eccentric relative is visiting kind of way. I answered their questions honestly and with no exaggeration and with as few of my personal views as possible. I was told ” It’s a very interesting theory but not something I could buy into” by the sister in law. This was followed by ” who would like a nice cup of tea?”
On the whole I think they feel I am a little mad, a touch insane for the views that I hold. The rest of my time was spent smiling at very sarcastic remarks, which they regarded as mildly teasing rather than insulting, such as ” you need to check your site, you may have earned enough to buy a couple of slices of bread by now” and ” how long is it going to take you to earn enough to buy a box of cereal?” my favourite comment was that they buy all the kids Christmas presents from Amazon but they wouldn’t do so via the site as it is just “encouraging me to carry on when I should be out looking for a ‘proper’ job”
What have I learned from this?
Leave them to it.
Admitting you are doing something like blogging, trying to pass on information to others will earn you ridicule and for all time you will be looked at as the family nut job. They have no idea of the pride I have in these pages, no it will not put money in the bank, no it will not alter my current status in life, but each time I post an article that may help someone somewhere to help themselves or their family when it hits the fan I smile and feel I have achieved something they cannot, and will not ever understand.
Take care
You aint mad, THEY are in denial, They are the first class passengers on the Titanic, the first class VIPs on the square windowed BAOC Comet, They are the European middle classes in central Africa in the 60s saying the natives wont come to the white resiences, they are the jews in Holland, Denmark, France and other countries ignoring the stories of concentration camps. When the power first goes off they will phone the power company to complain, after a few days they will phone the local tory councillor whose wife they know from the golf club, after a week they will be phoing 999 and be put in a queue.
Your family are those south eastern communters who were left stuck on the M11 for 18 to 27 hours after 2 inches of snow fell and froze and the southern cops BMWs couldnt cope.
You family would leap to become preppers if it was trendy and everyone who was anyone from the Beckhams to the Windsors deemed prepping was fashionable and socially acceptable.
PITY THEM.
Northern Raider
Thanks for reading my ramblings.
I do have pity, but it’s for the kids. The inlaws can afford to buy preps that I can only dream of, the have the space to store several years worth of food and the money to buy it, immediately if they chose.
You are totally right of course, if one of the plastic surgery enhanced lady directors at the gym did it they would be out buying like there was no tomorrow.
There’s nothing I can do about it that much is clear.
Take care
Lizzie, you just KNOW that if civil unrest and riots kick off in the home counties those two faced hypocrits will decide to go and visit their Aunty Lizzie for a while, Just decide NOW not later if you will or can afford to take them in. My family know I’m a prepper and they know they they aint welcome, Why because when I spent my meagre free money getting good clothes, skills etc for the family and doing without luxuries they were buying luxuries , going on multiple holidays, driving exotic vehicles etc.
Northern raider.
I hope if the do they fill the range rover with supplies before they arrive.
Take care
Don’t be discouraged Lizzie, we all think you’re the bee’s knees here! Some people just cannot accept difference and try and combat it with low sarcasm. It sounds like you had quite a horrid time :(. I think we as preppers just have to be singleminded about our ‘thing’ and accept that many will never think as we do. I might be tempted tto throw them off course and tell them in a month or two that I’ve given it all up! At least this will deter them from making a bee line straight to your door when the time arises. Keep calm & carry on! 😉
Hiya Loodles glad I’m not the only one up late.
Actually I had quite a nice time, frustrating but pleasant. They are actually very decent people. Just extremely short sighted.
It can be very entertaining watching people squirm lol
Take care and thanks for the kind words.
You did well to put your views across and stay calm despite the obvious hostility, I’m sure I wouldn’t have been so restrained. However you have planted a seed in the mind of each person there which might or might not germinate at some point in the future, perhaps even before a major event, giving them time to prepare for themselves. As preppers that’s all we can do, offer our advice as best we can, then leave it up to the individuals to make up their own minds.
Good morning Moosedog…love the name lol
Yes, that’s all we can hope for. It’s very odd, as I have said before they are fine people I think it’s just that they do not see the possibility of their cocoon breaking open. At least they have the available cash to pull it all together very fast if they need to. Oh for that eh?
Well, off to do the ironing in the hope that something to write about springs into my head. Have a good day.
Take care
Thank you kindly, Moose is the name of the fine but ancient hound curled up next to me on the settee as I grapple with the predictive typing ability of Android’s latest incarnation. Ironing would be more productive but I’m not going to let this technology beat me!
people like your relatives do make me laugh. winter before last we were snowed in for 4 weeks, nothing could get in or out, main road was gritted but our roads werent. we stayed in for 4 weeks-except for me walking the dog- and we didnt run out of anything, down to last 2 litres of uht milk but i’ve doubled the stock since then. what would your relatives do if they were snowed in for 4 weeks? maybe you could ask them? it might make them think a bit! best wishes. BP.
Moosedog
My mutt is Diamond, a nine stone mastiff puppy, just over a year old, drooling slobbering hair shedding great lump she is. We had a couple of lads call the other day, iPads in hand trying to flog love movies or whatever. Dog hurtles up the hall slobbers all over the front door hackles p and fangs showing…” no worries love, I’m sure you’re busy, another time” said one backing down the drive lol. Funny thing is, she goes mental if anyone even approaches the house but if they got in she would possibly roll over and slobber them to death. The getting in part is not an issue once they have heard or seen her though. Happy to report the ironing is done so I too now have time to fight the technology, sadly it usually wins.
Take care
BIG PAUL
We had about 8 days if I remember right, like you milk would have become an issue if it had gone on much longer. The area around Portsmouth seems to have its own little microclimate going on, they rarely seem to suffer really bad weather there.
You are entirely right though, if something relatively minor like the weather affected them they may stop and think.
This iPad wipes messages after a few days, not very sensible in my opinion but it means I can’t get in touch with people…get my drift?
Take care
our weather is affected by Dartmoor to the south, mainly wet weather as we have our own mild climate here but we CAN get snow sometimes. as well as uht milk we also stock tins of powdered milk so we arent going to run out.
pepole like that really piss me off they hate it that some people dont want all that stuff and are happy not having more( not including tins) keep up with the jones ,round here if one gets a new car they all get one,i still drive a 12 year old car, it does piss them off i look after it . sod them good to see that you are being your self not a sheep
BIG PAUL
Adding a spoon or two of powdered milk to home made yoghurt thickens it a treat and makes it taste much more creamy and makes guilt free pancakes lol as well.
Take care
BARNEYBOY
Totally agree, but one day they will sadly find out the hard way. I actually had a call from the brother in law a few minutes ago, asking a few questions…okay. He was basically shocked to shit, had the impression that preppers all wore combats and lived in cabins.
He couldn’t equate prepping with me as an individual, I work in training people in A&E practice on an ad hoc basis, and train people in major catastrophe management, as well as being part of the team should a major catastrophe occur during my time on duty which is six rotered weekends a year and two whole weeks once a year, my two weeks have just ended, thankfully uneventfully. This apparently is not a proper job as it is not full time salaried lol. I also do not apparently look like a prepper with my long nails, highlighted hair and silver convertible…again the image of combat gear and camo paint seems to reign supreme. My image it seems is more ‘airhead’ than anything else! I thought it best not to mention that I have more letters after my name than there are in it and that in about ten months time I should have my masters in environmental science….
Image it seems matters so much in certain circles that confusing them is a simple matter of throwing something unexpected into the mix. They take what they see at face value and seem unable to think outside of that. He is going to call me tonight when the kids are in bed. In the meantime I hope to God he does not read this, describing my niece and nephew as pedigree children would probably not do family relations much good…it would be as funny as f*** but only I would see it that way lol.
Take care
OPSEC. Once it’s gone you can’t get it back.
If (when) TSHTF they will be thinking of visiting you, even if you were to tell them that you’d stopped they’d probably still come. A tiny hope you still have food and heat is better than no hope.
What’s worse is that right now they’re telling everyone at the golf club about their crazy prepper relative possibly with far too much detail about exactly who and where you are.
In an event you could get visited by a whole load of people who you’ve never met who think you have prepps that they are “entitled” to share.
Skvez
Ordinarily I would agree with you, but they are in a way better position geographically and home wise than I am. They have the wood burners and large garden, the outside of a small town setting and the Monet to get a truckload of stuff from Tescos at the drop of a hat.
I think they are sensible enough to realise from the start that a city of millions is not the best place to be, especially in a terraced house with no chimney.
Moreover, I doubt very much they would admit to having a crazy in the family.
I take your point though. Nobody at all within just under two hundred miles of my location knows anything about me or my preps.
Take care
Monet? What’s painting got to do with this lol? MONEY
What’s the problem Lizzie?
They’re idiots, you’re not.
And here I had the impression the English were sensible. Seems some are just down right rude. You know it would have been nice if one (even if they are not believers) could have piped up and said “Well it would make sense to stock up and have some goods on hand for whatever.”
Some relatives have the attitude they will just come here.
I have made it clear that I am not able to take care of them healthwise nor foodwise. My heart will break.
I like the “back of the cupboard” opsec line. Very cunning.
I can tell from all of this that money indeed can’t buy you happiness nor brains. I would rather stock up, be poor, and know that I have done the best I can.
Keep it up you will shine if something does happen.
Paul and Ellen
Thanks for reading, I too think itis idiotic not to stock up, and it will kill me when the time comes that they will struggle but such is life. You can take a horse to water but you can’t make it drink.
Take care
I am away the weekend so please don’t be offended if I don’t reply to comments…..not with the same relatives you will be glad to know lol
my parents(War generation) always kept a stocked larder, fresh fruit and veg was bought seasonally..if it wasnt in season we didnt eat it, they never ran out of anything, they werent preppers-the word hadnt been invented then, they just had a STORE of stuff so they didnt run out of anything and restocked before they did.
Go Lizze, Be contended in the knowledge that you are aware that something may or not happen, as long as your happy doing what you/we do, who cares!
Bigpaul
Exactly
Our older relatives were preppers because they had to be, even though they didn’t know it. What we do, it’s nothing new just a revival of the old way that kept people going through hard times.
Take care
I know the feeling… I also have in laws who think that being rich makes for them a world where nothing can go wrong & they also look down their (snooty) noses at my lifestyle, but hey, they live “oop north” in Gunchester, sorry, I mean Manchester so I actually feel sorry for THEM…!!! 😉 (I am in South Devon if you wanted to know). 🙂