I don't want to sound like either a gloom-and-doomer or a sentimental fool with false nostalgia here, but I would suggest re-learning a few forgotten skills from the recent past as 2020 continues to unleash problems both natural and man-made. We still need to survive the onset of flu season and an election at the very least, after all.
Of course, there has been an explosion of interest in subjects related to gardening, hobby farming, and homesteading at my local library. People here in the middle of nowhere still tend to have kerosene lamps and other emergency options for power outages, too. But what if something truly disruptive were to hit the electrical grid?
We take appliances like washing machines for granted, even where people tend to dry their clothes outside on a clothesline. But do you have the means to wash clothing my hand? Do you have clothing that can withstand that kind of treatment?
Refrigeration is a modern miracle. How do you store food without it, though? What can keep perishables from perishing? Right now, we fire up a generator to run the fridge and freezer during a power outage. What if something shuts us down longer, though?
Do you have hand tools that can replace electric drills and saws? I think I have a brace and bit somewhere, maybe. I definitely have a pocket reference book with tables of common construction conversions and calculations.
Can you entertain yourself and your family without television? My personal library is reasonably well curated, but I know people who don't own any books to speak of. Do you have classic board games and card games? Role-playing games are a new innovation since my grandparents' time, so we have one option that was unavailable in the Depression era at least.
The economy is a resilient machine that can withstand an incredible degree of political meddling and natural disaster, but it doesn't hurt to have a backup plan in case things collapse, whether locally or globally. Winter power outages and impassable roads can isolate us here annually. Those of you in more urban settings may have no plans or preparation whatsoever despite the record of riots and disasters.
We are in a moment of reprieve now. Riots and forest fires alike have died down in most places, and COVID-19 threat is declining for now. Assess your personal level of risk and take a few steps just in case. The expense should be small, and the potential payoff incalculable.
I have fond memories of visiting the Oliver Kelley farm, but I don't necessarily think we need to prepare for a complete collapse of technology setting us back 150 years. Still, if you know anyone still alive from the Depression era, call them up and ask a few questions. That generation is dying off. We need their wisdom and experience before it is all gone.