No Man Is An Island
Wednesday, June 8, 2011 at 3:24AM I have always had misgivings about the modern survival movement. Something did not feel right about it. When I was reading Charles Hugh Smith's blog, I realized that he understood my misgivings and expressed them in a helpful way. His point was that from his personal experience from growing up in a rural community, he thought it naïve to plan to suddenly show up in a rural area filled with strangers and expect to be well received. So the big flaw in the modern survival movement is that many of in the movement do not realize that no man is an island. If troubling times come and you expect to show up in Podunk, Idaho, and be accepted, you will be disappointed. Folks, that is not going to happen. This fits well with my experience.
I graduated from the University of California at San Diego in 1976 with a degree in History. Older readers will remember 1976 as a trying time economically. One of my friends with a degree immigrated to New Zealand to teach. While I would not have minded teaching history, such jobs were hard to get unless you immigrated. Many college graduates face this exact situation today, so I remember and sympathize.
I decided to go to Missouri and raise cattle with my Father. I remember my best friend’s graduation party I attended. His grandmother was shocked to think about me, with a degree in history, becoming a cowboy.
Of course she was right, I knew nothing about cattle ranching. But at least I knew that I knew nothing. Gradually I learned many of the needed skills: running the tractor, mowing hay, basic animal care, and so on. While I never learned some of the more difficult ranching skills like roping, most of the needed skills became mine.
I have many stories about my transition to a cowboy. I was a little on the heavy side even then, so I would get in the back of the pickup first, and then get on the horse. I was told later I was a source of amusement for my coworkers, but I was also told they appreciated my unwillingness to give up on a task I had zero experience in.
I became, in time, a reasonable horse rider. I still have a bum knee from a tractor repair gone very bad. I could tell of the time I almost drowned while horseback riding; or the time I helped a cow have her baby with one of my tools being a chain saw. But the main point is that it took time to become accepted.
At first there was the rumor that I was a heavy marijuana user. Eventually they learned otherwise. I did not take many of the steps you can to speed up the process of acceptance like attending a local church or marrying a local girl, although I tried my best on that last one. But eventually I became an accepted part of the community. After living in the area about 4 years I was even approached to run for sheriff by a local business man. The rumor was that the local sheriff was corrupt and bribed by local drug dealers. I was tempted, but did not feel that it was a good idea for me. I did not think I could beat the sheriff in an election. Ironically, if I had run, I might have won. The sheriff unexpectedly retired. A local junk dealer was elected sheriff. My life would be quite different today if I had run and won.
So if you are concerned with the troubling times ahead, the time to move is now, not later. Integrate yourself in the local community. Attend local events. Go to church. Volunteer. Buy a pickup truck. At some point you will become a local. No man is an island.
[Positive Dennis]
Charles Smith was kind enough to give me the title to the essay that helped me clarify my thoughts in this area. It is "Art of Survival."
Reader Comments (1)
I believe that there are indeed situations where a person can indeed be an "Island"...
It was talked a lot about on television back in the 1950s... it was called the...
"ISLE OF LUCY"
Eddie H. Nessul
(Read Names Backwards!)