i've given this a lot of thought over the years. i've put myself in a pretty good position. no mortgage, garden, small town, rain water collection, etc. BUT there are other factors and i'm not sure how they will play out.

what kind of work will there be for me? right now i work part time at lowes in the lawn and garden section. will that be there in say five years? my wife is a massage therapist at a medical center and makes good money. will that be there? the local government is going to want their property taxes paid whether i'm working or not. will i lose my place that is paid for and all the preparations i've made due to not being able to work?

what about heat in the winter and for cooking? in short order folks will begin cutting down any tree they find for fire. there's so many of us that the trees are in serious danger. will my water storage be enough? if the neighbors decide to steal the food from my garden, how do i stop them? gotta sleep sometime. all my friends and family already know they are welcome to join us, but that is no guarantee they will. what about medical emergencies with no hospital or no way to pay for it? i'm in my mid fifties and they *will* crop up.

i know everything will work out in the end, but i've no desire to become a statistic in the meantime. how much planning can ye really do to prepare for the change everyone sees but no one can say how it will actually happen?

it's all well and good to set yerself up with garden, guns and the means to have heat and light. without other folks ye soon become less than human. and if ye are around other folks ye run the risks of theft and murder. i've opted for the middle ground of a small town, but as always there are no guarantees for anything.