No One Is Coming To Save You
The Turning Feral Journal - Day 31
Day 31: What is your biggest fear? That’s a question I was asked by someone during my ‘old life’ of working a 9-5 job, living in airports, and chasing the old American dream in a big city. I can’t even remember my actual answer to this person, which was probably something shallow around not being able to workout or likely some word vomit about losing my job, but what I do remember was where my mind actually went in that moment…
In the split second that question was asked, I played out a scenario where there were no groceries on the shelf at the store, no water running through the taps of our big fancy house, and no gasoline available at the pumps. With basic amenities gone, I continued the fantasy of what the days and weeks following would look like… and you know what? I saw my family die.
And that, truly, was my biggest fear – that I was not equipped to protect my family in the event that the whole support structure we rely on failed. Heck, at the time the only way I could have possibly provided food would be to hope I hit a deer with my car… and even then I would have had no idea how to process it. Maybe I could have thrown the whole carcass on a fire and hope to pull off edible bits? But, that would have not lasted for long.
That question (..and my real answer which stayed locked away in my head securely guarded by my middle-aged ego) were the catalyst for why I decided to turn more feral. I realized that my suburban life offered so many creature comforts, but if a crack in the ship were big enough the whole vessel was going down and it was going to take me and my family with it. That is why I took action. I wanted to start building a life boat because I knew that in a worse case scenario, no one was coming to save us – it was up to me and I was ill-equipped for the job.
Daily Prompt: Take a moment to close your eyes and strip away your ego and natural defensive mechanisms… Now, what is your biggest fear? What can you do to mitigate that fear?:
Motivational Passage:
“For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.”
2 Timothy 1:7
Rewilding Action: Today’s action is all about trades. Whether it’s carpentry, welding, plumbing, electrical work… It's time to go to the ol’ Google machine and see what sort of classes are offered in your area. Oftentimes community colleges or churches will have night or weekend sessions to learn the basics around some of these trades… And, going with the spirit of ‘no one is coming to save you,’ it’s necessary to build some skills. Personally, I am attending a welding course this spring so I can be a bit more handy with some necessary metal work around our cabin and to help out our local fire district. Sign up for something, learn, and grow confidence in your ability to get by with your own two hands.