Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Preserving food. And the end of the world.



Ok maybe not the end, but a natural disaster, an earthquake, hurricane or violent terrorist attack. What would we do? How would we survive? What if all the land lines, cell phone towers and wifi connections were disabled? What would we, consumer and technology dependent humans do? What if the dollar within our economy became so inflated that buying a piece of gum would be astronomical. What would come of us?

We would barter and trade. "You make clothes, well I can fix cars..."

I've been to too many independent-homemade craft fairs to think otherwise.
There is a resurgence of homemaking.
Of resourcing what you already have. Repurposing. And to my enthusiasm, returning to our ancestral roots of preserving our own food; to be enjoyed at a later time or to give as nourishing gifts on special occasions. Crocheting cute beanies and blankets for our loved ones. Making our own cheese, growing a small vegetable garden, even brewing our own beer. These are all natural inclinations of our humanity that have started to become trendy and hip yet necessary and right. I like to think that the spirit of man is perceiving the importance of such preparation. The need to 'stock up.' Just as a squirrel gathers acorns for the winter, sometimes more than other years; because something in that creature tells him so. Like the penguins of Antarctica, making their first multi-week trek to find food, yet knowing exactly where to go. There are so many animals that do this sort of thing, and it is awe-inspiring to us humans. The salmon swimming upriver to spawn in almost the exact location they were born. Or the monarch butterflies resting in the same location each migratory generation. Or the swallows that migrate through southern California, making the same pit stop each time.
We are shifting as well. Maybe it's harder to recognize what our natural inclinations are telling us, maybe because we have considerably longer life spans than most animals. But I believe we are just as inclined and intune.
We are preserving, stocking up, hunkering down. We are preparing for something. And while canning apples and pickles with your friends is social and fun, it is also good!

Be informed and prepared!
Check out these links for more information:

http://www.ready.gov/basic-disaster-supplies-kit
http://www.ready.gov/water

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