No, I’m not going to be wearing a skirt and high-heels to the next big event, nor will I be drinking tea with pinky in the air.
Cross-dressing for survival is a far more practical concept, that will increase your chance of survival no matter the catastrophe.
Throughout history men and women have played certain roles and assigned obligations according to gender.
Ideas of proper behavior according to gender vary among cultures and era, but generally men are seen as protectors and builders, while women generally fall into the role of mother and caregiver.
Research has suggested, that the practice of dividing labor and responsibilities according to sex dates back as far as two million years.
But are divided roles according to gender, in our best interest as survivalist’s and self-reliant people?
I don’t think so.
I’m not saying we should reverse roles, only that we need to consider learning and practicing skills traditionally associated with the opposite sex.
Fleshing out our abilities, can only improve our chances of survival - I see no reason to limit our skills based on gender preconceptions.
No matter how much we deplore the thought, bad things happen - sometimes to you or your spouse. For instance, you or your partner could become ill, wounded or even killed due to unforseen events, leaving the remaining partner without skills you possessed.
For example; you maybe a certified three gun combat shooter and master sniper, while your other half doesn’t know which end the bullet exits. Or you maybe able to turn the most basic of storage foods into a meal, while your partner struggles to make toast.
You’re a team, each possessing skills complementing the other, but what if half of those skills were no longer available?
A well-rounded skill set is necessary for self-reliance and survival in general. Don’t be afraid to learn skills, traditionally thought of as appropriate only for the opposite sex.
Spending time in this area can only increase your chances.
As a man you can learn, cooking and food preservation, sewing and mending, nursing, child-care etc. Women can break from traditional roles, by learning building and carpentry skills, weapons handling and care, hunting, trapping, defensive skills etc.
Consider the skills your partner would need if you were no longer around and get to work obtaining those skills.
Isn’t it time you started cross-dressing your survival skills?
{ 39 comments }
I totally agree with your suggestion in this post. This is also true though of the game of life in general. I know about keeping our cars & furnace serviced, how to defend myself with a firearm, and take care of basics around the house. My husband likewise can pull together meals, do laundry, and clean. As part of this, we know how to use each others tools, maintain them, and put them away where they belong.
We might not be perfect with what the other guy does, but we do know how to make it happen
I couldn’t agree more. My capabilities/preparedness level skyrocketed once I started working from home/being a stay at home dad.
Great information, interesting analogy.
I sometimes wonder what subconscious trigger causes certain ideas to hatch… ;-)
Wit..that wasn’t necessary..
Necessary? No.
Amusing? Yes.
Barbara,
If you’ll notice I included a smily face at the end of the post, little Ms. Overly Sensitive To Whatever Wit says.
Please, grow a sense of humor, you may find life is a bit more fun as opposed to being so doggone anal retentive!
PS
I am surprised you did not respond to my last post addressing me pestering you about Christian witnessing. And as a matter of clarification, the thief on the other cross was the one who mocked Jesus while hanging on the cross on Calvary. Now, have at it!
Wit, that isn’t one of your normal smiley faces, and not even like the others I’ve seen. No eyes. It has no EYES WIT!! To be honest, I didn’t even notice it. The eyes got cut off. Poor little blind smiley face.
I happen to have one of the greatest senses of humour anybody could be blessed with. Just read back through the posts, you’ll see. I’m always commenting on funny things people say, and laughing at you guys on here.
As for your style of witnessing, I think we may have a slightly different understanding of it. I am not a Calvinist. I don’t believe in trying to force the issue either, but the Bible says that we are to do more than just mention it and “set an example,” and pray. You can plant a seed, but without water (of the Word) it will die. As for the thief on the cross, I think just being NEXT to Jesus and seeing his actions spoke more words than anyone could imagine.Jesus didn’t NEED to say a lot to the man. Actions speak louder than words. Some will never accept Christ.Fact.
Thank you for making my point – actions do speak louder than words.
This becomes even more important when you are a single parent and the survival of your child is dependant on the skills you have. The weekly column on what everyone has done to prep is now my learning list. I fully recognize that survival on our own is unlikely, so I am slowly reaching out to like-minded individuals in my community and we are sharing information to find out what skills we need to add to the community to ensure our self-sufficiency. It is a slow process because we are very much wanting to fly under the radar and not attract unwanted attention.
My current challenge is to re-learn how to ride a bike… Lord knows that I haven’t been on one since college… but being able to ride one and run a cart behind will provide transport once the gasoline has gone… just don’t forget to stock tires, inner tubes, extra hand pumps…
LakeLili,
If you have not done so, download MD’s free ebook, it’s a great resource
WITWCT,
Glad you found it useful – and thank you for recommending it to others.
I totally agree that we should have well rounded skills on both sides of the gender fence. All of my life, I have had to do men’s jobs, and I consider myself blessed by having the knowledge. I just don’t think it’s fair when the woman does the man’s jobs and is expected to do hers too.(I’ve seen marriages like this..) It should be an equal sharing of duties on both sides, and will surely benefit both no matter what happens.
And my comment to the ladies would be, “Ladies, don’t be afraid to do anything the men do. YOU CAN DO IT. You can run power tools. You can run chain saws.You can do just about anything and everything that the men can do, and with practice, you can probably do it even better. Be cautious, but be confident. And don’t let anybody tell you that you can’t do these things.YOU CAN.
It’s been awhile since my wife has come to look at what I am reading on the computer. Of course she chose yesterday. To which she replied ” what the hell are you reading?” I will now have to find a way to survive all the bantering she will throw at me.
However, logical post M.D. I see you’re thinking outside the box(lol lol)
cross gender talents?
Pappy taught me to plow with the mule, butcher hogs, work cattle, break and ride horses, and how to train a mule.
Plus I did all the house and yard-garden work too.
Pap said you never know when one of the women folks would need to know that stuff.
Changing a flat tire, working on the tractor, cars, pickups, even the old dozier.
Taught me all he could.
He said that every woman should know how to write a check, drive a tractor, and castrate a hog. Cause ya just never knew.
Nine brothers. Me.
Pap also said cause I was a girl, and small to boot, that I needed two things in life, a good pair of running shoes and an equalizer.
He also taught me how to shoot.
Country living at it’s best.
Anna Mouse
Hi Anna, Your dad sounds a lot like mine. No prissy little girls around here.LOL. Ya gotta love ‘em.
I never learned about castrating hogs, but I know how to kill one and bleed them out.I always watched and learned.
I never learned how to drive a tractor, but I can drive a dozer and I love running a front end loader.
Dad taught me to respect a gun when I was just tiny, and he taught me how to shoot when I was about fourteen.(Somebody had to kill all the birds eating our fruit!!)
I don’t know how you feel about the most of the young generation nowadays, but I look at them and wonder how in the world most of them would ever survive if times got really hard.All of the young girls I know can’t even cook, much less any of the rest of it, and they aren’t interested in learning it either, and for that matter, the boys are just as bad. Maybe the ones on a farm are better, but there aren’t many of those. Take away their fun stuff and they are completely lost. I’m really glad my dad took the time to teach me things. It hasn’t been wasted.
P.S. I don’t think the name ‘mouse’ suits you. :)
It started down hill in the 1960s Barbara when mothers determined that it was better for their girls to play in Little League then to know how to run a house, balance a budget, cook a meal… Now I watch my friends run themselves ragged trying to be all things to all people – husband, children, boss, office, church… Their children talk back to them and treat them like maids – their kids don’t clean their rooms, cook meals, do the laundry… but then neither do their mothers with their reliance on fast food and illegal housekeepers…
Hi Lake,
I think you’re right.I see the same thing.No discipline.It’s messed up. And you know what’s worse? These are the people who will be coming to us for help in the future,thinking that we will just take care of them.I think it’s going to get really ugly.
I never had the option to play sports or all the other extras.My dad just said no.And better not talk back either, cause you’d be wearing stripes for a week. It’s called respect. Teaching kids respect.
Thanks M.D.! Now I have a visual I can’t get out of my head. I understand the concept but the introduction was scary./mk
Michael
Made you think…
But M.D., was visualizing you in a tutu really the thought you wanted to send? No, I know what you’re saying and you’re right. But that visual is still hard to shake!!! I may have nightmares!!!
Just having fun with you…keep up the good work./mk
When settling the west the pioneer women chopped wood, fed the cattle, plowed the field, etc, with the men. The men cared for the young, cooked, sewed, etc. There was none of this “man’s job” or “woman’s job” BS. They worked together, each doing what was necessary to survive and build. If they hadn’t there would be no America.
As a man I have learned to cook (*I actually get compliments, except from those who can’t handle the habaneros), sew, clean, change diapers, plant a garden, tend the kids and anything else that needed doing. Now that I’m single I do canning, drying and storage. The idea that a man or woman should only do certain tasks will cause nothing but headaches, or possible death, in a survival situation.
No-one should say that doing “a woman’s work” is demeaning. Being able to care for yourself is very uplifting. It also gives you an edge on others and may keep you alive.
I agree, I first learned how to cook when I moved out at 18. I figured it better taste good if I’m going to eat it. And I’m right there with you on the habaneros, my best chili has plenty in it. As far as kids, I did a better job than my wife (at the time) at taking care of the twins than she did. She would hide in bed and let me take care of them. They probably wouldn’t be alive today if it weren’t for me. I even had custody after the divorce. Found out later when the kids were about 13 by DNA test that they weren’t even mine. They may not be my biological kids but they’re mine. They have even stated that they had no interest in finding their real dad other than to possibly find out family history (diseases and such). They eventually ended back with their mother about age 14. They turned out rather well despite her (they’re now about to hit 27). As far as sewing goes about all I’ve done is hand stitch some repairs and have hand sewn leather pouches and such with sinew. I do like to garden but unfortunately at this point in time it is difficult, may have to raise a few things in pots.
I agree totally…but I’m not equipped to nurse unfortunatly. I’ll leave that one to the wife. Ha!Ha!
Stephen,
That’s why baby bottles were invented, so you could feed the baby too!!
True. But fortunatly my youngest has been off bottles for a year and i don’t think there will be anymore.lol!
Was weirded out by the headline, so didn’t read the article for a couple of days. As it turns out, it’s bang on. My wife and I share all the responsibilities, though mine are weighted more on the ‘man side’ of the building and what not, while she nurtures (the farm) and does maybe a bit more of the cooking.
However, she can swing a hammer with the best of them. She’s been learning kata’s, knows how to properly chop wood, and I’m buying her a .22 to learn to shoot with, this summer. On the other hand, I’ve learned to can veggies, knead bread, and I’m the second hand when it comes to all the farming chores.
Another good post, MD.
Wit,
I was not making your point. You seem to be discrediting the glory of Christ and bringing it down to mere mortal size,(in trying to make YOUR point.) You nor I, nor ANYONE could never even come close with our own actions, to what Christ did at Calvary. He was God in the flesh.
The same God who created the earth, and seas, and endless skies.My God is an AWESOME God, just look around and you will see His work.
How on earth do you come up with these arrogant conclusions? You have no clue who I am.
Wit, It doesn’t matter who you are. It’s what you said.I believe,according to what you wrote, that witnessing is planting seeds, setting a good example, and praying.You tried to say that Jesus didn’t say much to the thief on the cross.,etc..implying that we shouldn’t say a whole lot to people,when we witness.I disagree.Christ didn’t have to say much.He’s God, and His actions at Calvary spoke volumes.No one could ever set that same example, no matter what we did.We often need to do more than just mention it and set a good example.Sometimes we have to actually show someone why what they have been taught is wrong.It means getting out your Bible and showing them the word of God, and what it says about their misguided beliefs.Sometimes it means hours of arguing with them, SHOWING them scripture.Sometimes it means suffering abuse at their hand, and going back for more, so they will finally get the point.It can mean days of fasting and praying for them.Repeatedly, and calling on others to pray for them as well.
Fortunately, this isn’t always necessary, but if God wants to save a person, He will put you in the spot where you will need to do these things.
And He can close off your exits until you do.
Rom.10:14 (how shall they hear without a preacher?)15.(How shall they preach except they be sent?)2Tim.4:2 (Preach the word;be instant in season, out of season;reprove,rebuke,exhort with ALL longsuffering and doctrine.) It’s more than just planting a seed sometimes.And setting an example isn’t good enough without the rest.
I apologize if I hurt your feelings.
I am flabbergasted how you extrapolated so much from so little, but not much surprises me anymore.
I will not bother responding to this self-aggrandizing diatribe because you simply don’t get it besides, this is not the forum to do so.
?
Yes Hudson, I’m at a loss as well …
Wit,
Okay “flabbergasted” Drama King, play it off all you want to. If you don’t want to hear what I have to say, then stop baiting me like you did above.(have at it!) And it’s not self-aggrandizing. It’s the truth. You are the one who simply doesn’t get it, because you don’t want to. It might mean some extra work, patience, and LOVE for someone on your part, and you don’t sound ready for that. (The Spirit is willing, but the flesh isn’t.) Fast and pray for guidance and God will help you.
M.D.,
You may delete the above religious comments above if you want to. I’m sorry for messing up the topic.
Tetelestai Barbara, tetelestai ~
Wit,
we can hope it has ended as you said.
Yes, it is finished
Nice boot and I was wondering when I first saw the title, did Mr. M.D. mean to dress in the oposite sex’s clothes but as I read the first few lines I knew that you actually meant to dress yourself with the skills of the opposite sex. With the boot and pretty boa it may well be that men should learn how to do things the women generally know how to do and not be immune to learning these things and that they’re not really sissy things. I’d be afraid, if I were a man and something happened to my gal that I’d be able to take care of myself. If she got sick or some guy kidnapped her for whatever reason, that kind of stuff can happen during a SHTF situation, then I’d be on my own. Anyway, good article.
MD are those your boots? lol!
Spot on!
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