Rural Survivors

Should you move to the country; or would you be better off making your stand where you are? Such a drastic lifestyle change can shock the senses, not to mention what it can do to other family members. And remember; small towns have their own set of problems.

One thing most small towns have in common is unemployment and low wages. For example; the county where I live, has an unemployment rate of over 19%., and with current economic conditions this number is sure to increase.

It’s nearly impossible to find any type of work. If you’re an outsider forget it.

The few employment opportunity’s that exist are quickly filled by friends and relatives of established workers and management. As the saying goes; it’s who you know. If your unknown or have the wrong last name forget about finding a job.

A large number of residents live off the tax payer. They are addicted to the government handout. They are locked into the system, when the the system goes they go with it.

We tend to imagine small towns as independent models of self-Sufficiency. A place where the survivor can go for safety and community – forming an enclave against the outside word, during hard times. Some are self-reliant most are most are not. Choose wisely.

As a child I remember nearly every home in my area having a huge garden and flock of hens. Now you can drive for miles and never see a garden or anything else that would indicate the residents as being self-reliant.

The skills my grandparents took for granted have been abandoned and forgotten by the current generation. Practical skills and hard work have been replaced by MTV, piercings, body “art” and Sloth.

And it’s not just the kids – even the 40 and 50 somethings possess little knowledge of self-sufficiency.

Most small towns are dependent on imports from outside for sustainability. In the past most country homes had a stocked pantry and root cellar, overflowing with produce and canned goods from the garden.

Now the typical home has only a few days worth of food at best with most of this being bought with the government welfare payment. Let the trucks stop running or the checks cease to arrive and panic will set in.

I don’t look for rioting or looting, at least not on a large scale. I do expect an increase of home invasions and property theft. If you’re known to have supplies you could become a target. Expect to spend many sleepless nights guarding what you have.

Don’t make the mistake of preconceiving the small town as a safe-haven. It’s not. I’m not saying you’ll be better off in the city just that rural survivors will have their own problems to contend with.