The Solitary Man’s Refuge (20 page)
Read The Solitary Man’s Refuge Online
Authors: Ron Foster
People in the country will actually be worse off in
some ways. Most people don’t raise gardens much
anymore regardless what city folks think and will be cut off
from the amenities they can get from the city like existing
stocks of seed, fertilizer and plants backyard city
gardeners will buy up immediately.
Gas will get rationed in the cities for a while. There
are lots of generators in storage ready for a pandemic or a
nuclear reactor meltdown. Oh fun, what is the nuclear
power plant up the road going to do without spewing
radiation everywhere because they can’t pump water to
cool them now?” Don said. He would get into that threat
later on how EMP affects them and risk for radiological
crop contamination and made another face as he
remembered one more job or prepper thing he had to plan
for.
“I know you will do what’s best for all of us, but I
think you should just bug out to your home, Don.” Janice
said trying to figure out what else Donald knew but was not
sharing with them in regard to what a total technology
breakdown eventually might mean.
“That option might not be open, I got to think about
if I would be a wanted man or not for several reasons.
They might want me to come to work but cannot find me. I
am not quite sure at the moment if I am “required” to report
in for work under some announcement or emergency
powers act that I don’t know about has been evoked yet
and if I didn’t show, I would be considered AWOL (Absent
Without Leave) and be subject to extreme loss of rights
and extra punishment under the war powers act like the
Vietnam draftees were once they “deserted.” Cops were
allowed to beat the shit out of you back then if they caught
you running to Canada to “Evade the draft.” Once you
were sworn in and went to basic, if you tried to go “over
the hill” in the middle of the night and escape off base you
would be treated as a coward and a deserter, if allowed to
return to your training unit at best and at your own volition
if you returned on your own after being turned back or
arrested at best and were assigned to a punishment
platoon to complete basic, or at worst you spent time in
county, state and federal prisons for an unspecified
amount of time up to 20 yrs. as a military deserter.
Sleeping on guard duty or cowardice or desertion in the
face of the enemy was punishable by firing squad and it
was executed more than he cared to think about in war
and you learned that threat or fact first day of basic
training. This was not a game; Donald knew all too well,
this knowledge from serving many a year with honor and in
some of the most prestigious and toughest units in the
military. Times and attitudes change with age though, and
he was not naïve as he was in his younger and less lucid
days and yearned for easier duty in his silver haired years.
“Donald, just quit the agency and say it’s to take
care of me. They would understand if you said you had to
take care of your sick, elderly mother. It doesn’t sound like
you want to do that job anymore and I understand. Look,
you just do the right thing as I know you will and think
things all the way through. We will be alright either way.”
Betty said, trying to advise her distraught son.
“You think my brother is going to try to get back
home from Texas? He has been helping financially with
house preps he sends us for a disaster for years and
knows I will take care of you. But do you think he is coming
back?” Don asked his Mom.
“I am not exactly sure where he is at the moment,
he travels extensively as a corporate national sales
manager, you know. Last week, he told me on the phone
he was very sick with some kind of microbial flu but had to
make a corporate meeting one state over if he could
manage to walk in the door for the meeting. He is a hard
worker and was stubbornly going to make it, it was that
important to him to be there for the boss. I would love for
him to be here at home now but we best not count on him.
He has his own life and friends to worry about there and I
am sure thinks we will be fine.” Betty concluded.
“
I wished that big fool had listened to me more
about contingency planning for a solar storm. Not enough
was said and now we will be paying the price for not
talking then more. He just threw money at the problem and
said to me deal with it if I wanted to get mom ready on the
home front. Well, that’s ok, I didn’t have funds to deal with
it myself any other way, anyway, so it was a huge blessing
he contributed his wealth towards him and his Moms’
benefit.
“I think what I will do is wait a week while we stay in
town and then go down to their office and find out if they
have anything official planned at all or are just waiting
around on orders that will come, lord knows when. It will
probably be too early in this disaster to find out anything
from them, though. I will think it over about leaving them a
forwarding address for me but most likely I will go ahead
and give it to them. If I can work, I guess I need to, we will
all need the money. My decision is all going to depend on
what I hear when I get to talk to someone in charge at the
office.” Donald said, glad he still had a few options and
putting it in a positive perspective.
“That sounds like a good plan. That also gives
Janice some time to work on her mom to move to the
country.” Betty said.
interest.
Janice replied.
“I have got enough gas in the truck to make 3 or 4
round trips back to my farm pretty easy. After I talk to my
office, I need to go fill in LowBuck on what I know and see
about a few things. You want to go with me the back way
past your relatives’ houses and you can check on them or
drop some stuff off?” Donald asked planning his next
steps.
“Yes! I want to go! So, I finally get to meet
LowBuck and his wife. That will be cool. I will decide on if I
want to move any preps down that way by the end of the
week. I am still thinking I might. Let’s see about getting
dinner together.” Janice said smiling and giving him a hug
because she was happy to see him home and there for
them if needed.
THE SOLITARY MAN: COUNTDOWN TO
PREPPERDOM
ASSENDUM BOOK ONE
Considering that most people don’t discuss how to
handle people during or after a disaster I have attached
this article excerpt below
Survivor
This info is intended for (unaffected) family
members, friends, acquaintances, and anyone that isn't a
trained professional that encounters a person directly
affected by the Katrina tragedy.
1. First, it is important for you to be available faceto-face. Many of us are experiencing so much of our
own
pain and suffering, it is difficult to be present for someone
who has experienced a traumatic event. You may want to
read this article, Dismantling Walls
(
http://evelynrodriguez.typepad.com/crossroads_dispatch
es/2005/09/dismantling_wal.html
), for some suggestions.
We are all wounded healers at some level, so don't expect
perfection from yourself. If you still feel you are too fragile
to be present for another, please be honest but don't
ignore the person entirely. For instance, you can say, "I
have so much of my own issues that I'm feeling tender
right now with all that's happened. I don't know how to be
helpful. What do you think would be helpful?" Find other
family members, friends that can listen and be present.
Find counseling resources - whether through a relief
agency, your local hospital, local clergy, local therapists
and/or social workers, and/or meditation and yoga centers.
Help in the manner you have the capacity to help.
2. Your intent matters more than anything. Even
silent communication is powerful as people pick up
resonant energy in their limbic systems. Don't stress too
much about if what you are saying or doing is "right." If you
come with a hearfelt intent, it will come across somehow.
3. Don't assume talking will "make it worse." Many
people avoid others that have gone through a traumatic
event believing that not talking about it will somehow make
the pain go away. It's a particularly lonely time if everyone
has the same thought. It's not necessary to walk on
eggshells, so to speak, with a trauma victim. After the
tsunami, people really appreciated an attentive ear and a
shoulder to lean on. People want to talk. Most really need
to talk. There are some folks that tend to withdraw ("I just
want to be alone"). Reach out and let them know you are
available. Call or come by every few days (the "alone"
phase will pass away).
4. Be patient. Everyone has their own timetable for
grieving. Two weeks after the tsunami, I had friends
suggesting that it was "time to move on." If the person
seems to be attempting to heal and reach out, then they
are doing just fine even if it's not
your
timetable (i.e. they
are seeking counseling, meditating in a support group,
etc.) If they have withdrawn from
all
support, that's when
you can be helpful to a) listen b) find resources for healing
and get them there.
5. Pity and sympathy aren't necessary ("oh you
poor thing"). Compassion and empathy are. Imagine you
are on a hospital bed with a terminal illness, you wouldn't
expect friends to visit so they can suffer with you. A kind,
benevolent, lighthearted, confident presence is preferred.
Be yourself as much as possible. Joining in their suffering
isn't necessary, or desired.
6. This is
not
the time for lectures or getting on your
soapbox. For instance, "Why didn't you leave?" or "We
create our own reality; the poor make their choices" or
"Well, you know that New Orleans was a disaster waiting
to happen; what do you expect?" In fact, this would be a
good time to ensure the survivor isn't harboring self-blame
and guilt. Let them know it's NOT their fault: what
happened, happened. In fact, if you have strong opinions
or judgments, this is time to keep them to yourself. I'm
speaking from personal experience here, these are
other
uncalled for responses that do not help the survivor
recover: "My pastor said that those in the tragedy were
being punished by God.", "Why are you so upset - you
didn't see any dead bodies yourself.", "Wow, that must
have been quite an adventure!"
7. Don't make leaps and assume that every survivor
is going to have post-traumatic stress syndrome. This may
unnecessarily scare the survivor in regards to their longterm mental state. Humans are very resilient and
psychologists are studying
post-traumatic growth
these
days. I experienced symptoms of acute stress disorder for
about the first ten days after the tsunami (anxiety, frequent
heart palpatitations, difficulty sleeping). And I don't have
PTSD today.
8. Do what your friend believes to be helpful. For
instance, they may ask you to pray with them or read a
passage from the Bible. Or take them to a movie. You
might object because you're not Christian or you think their
suggestion is 'stupid.' But in reality, they are simply asking
for your support and your love in a form they understand. If
it's not going to kill you, just do it.
Begin book 2
The Solitary Man
In Defense Of Preppers
20
The Bunker Boys
Bubba and Donald walked down from the house to
the jobsite which was a 15 x 30 dirt excavation dug out of
the side of a very small hill. They stood next to a
wheelbarrow full of tools eying with disdain the mixture of
sloppy clay and mud that needed to be removed in order
to build the foundation for a “fortified tornado shelter”.
“I have been throwing compost and brush on to this
patch of mud off and on the last few months ever since
they bulldozed this area clearing trees. These last few
days of rain washing down the hill really soaked this area.
It looks like we still got a mess on our hands to muck about
in today.” Donald said poking at a reddish orange patch of
ground in front of him and noticing the clays almost buttery
texture.
“How deep does that crap go?” Bubba said
observing the globs of clay sticking to Donald’s square
point shovel.
“Well, I guess we are fixing to find that out now!”
Donald said grinning and drawling out the southern
phrase.
“Lets getter done!” Donald said laughing as he
hefted a big shovel full of the sludge like muck off the floor
of the muddy trench and slopped it into the wheelbarrow.
“This isn’t too bad though I don’t think it’s as bad as
it looked. It’s only a shovel full or two to get down to some
harder ground. Now that might be just another layer of clay
or sandy soil or whatever like tree roots, I don’t know.
When they cleared the trees and brush off for the garden,
the landscaper put a layer of clay in here. It also used to
get a lot of natural rainwater runoff from the hill, but after
this first 6 ft or so back, its fairly solid ground even after it
rains.” Donald said dumping another shovel full of clay
slop in the wheelbarrow.
“You got any use for this nasty mucky muddy stuff?
Or are we just going to go dump it somewhere near the
woods edge to get it out of the way? “Bubba said while
digging into the soil mixture with his shovel and then
slinging it into a wheelbarrow parked a few feet away.
“I am thinking it would be good for stucco mud or
something, anyway we are just going to pile it up over
there on that berm until I can figure out a good use for it.
That dang stuff is like shoveling wet taffy.” Donald replied
fighting to remove some particularly tenaciously adhering
sticky clay and twigs that didn’t want to get off his shovel
on his first pitch to get rid of it...