A Glass Menagerie Society

"We have seen that in this country in the last few years, particularly on Wall Street, with the rise of the old human frailty of greed. This occurs when people begin to serve only their own needs to the detriment of everyone else."

Lee R. Raymond

This week I was reminded how fragile of a society we are.

  

As we watch the snow ball effect of the break up of the Eurozone and it's currency... we need to not forget of what is going to occur here soon if our leaders don't get their act together.   

We know the fiscal cliff is coming ..... we know that the debt is massively unmanageable that we will never fix it.  But yet... they continue to rely on useless things to fix it... a useless currency,  a useless bond program... and a useless foreign policy that sponsors nothing but war and greed. 

These useless things, this "stuff" that they have put their faith in are way to fragile.  Its not real... its just a convenience. 

I want to convey in today's message how truly fragile we are in terms of how we rely on non-essential "stuff". 

I want you to take a moment to push your chair away from the computer and look at your desk a moment.

What is on it?  Obviously you have a computer.  How about an iPhone? Printer maybe?  iPad or an EReader of some type?  

How often do you use them?  Why do you use them?  How much do you rely on them?  Do you use them to track your bank balances?  How about keeping track of your medicine or insulin?

What would you do tomorrow if they were gone? How bad would your withdrawals be?

Let's take a bigger step back....

Now let's think about your kitchen.  Go to your pantry.  Open it... take a good hard look around in it.

If tomorrow... you couldn't go to the grocery store.... could you feed your family for a month?  Two months?

How's your water situation?  Do you have clean water you could drink?  Do you have a way to filter it? 

How about sanitation?  If tomorrow you couldn't use your toilet any more... what would you do?

How about your self protection?  Do you own a gun?  Do you know how to use it?  Do you have the intestinal fortitude to use if on another human being?

You see the reason I bring up all of these things is I want to prove a point.

We are too reliant on "convenience items".  Sure technology is great.. and a blast to use... but in the end... the only technology we need is our two hands and our brain.

We rely on other people too much to provide for us....

Here is a good example.... Last week in the town I live in one of our water districts had a major issue with its pumping system. You can read / watch more about it here. 

So... being the curious person that I was when I heard about it... I picked up the phone and I called several of the largest grocery stores in that area and worked my way out.

I called a Fred Meyer (Kroger for you East Coast Folks), an Albertsons and a Safeway. 

My first few phone calls were exactly what I thought they would be.  Within an hour and a half all of the major grocery stores were out of all bottled water.   This included all small bottles all the way up to the large "water cooler" style bottles... people were buying those even when they didn't have a system to use them.   

I also followed up with a question about the panic level among the people who were in their stores... the first store manager (the Fred Meyer) told me that people seemed to be reasonable to deal with at first...then as people got off of work and school... they became more agitated and more demanding as far as product availability. 

The second store manager (The Albertsons)... whose store was in a lower income area... told me that people were really hustling to get what they need, but no fights or panic... just a lot of money being spent on water... and few extra supplies. 

The last store ....the Safeway.. in the lowest income area... told me that they were sold out in 45 minutes from the time the ban went into effect and that two patrons at one point had even gotten in a fist fight.

Now.... in this particular store... they have a low income population around the area ... and a fight in the store every once in a while... well that is par for the course.  But he did advise me that their water supplies went very quick and people had to go to other areas of my town to get water....

The press never talked about that.... But most of all it impacted the schools.  They had to close the schools because the kids couldn't drink from the drinking fountains and they couldn't cook with the water coming out their sinks...

They couldn't even wash dishes in the cafeteria kitchen...

We don't think that when the water goes... it impacts more than just our families...

Thankfully there are only about 2500 families that were affected... but imagine if it was the entire city!

So... what have we learned from those conversations?

People were massively un-prepared.  Their water got taken away... and they had to scramble..

They weren't ready for their main source of water to be taken away... I'm sure there were a few people in the area who had some water.. but for the most part.... it was hours and the bottled water was gone.

It was a shame really.

To some of you.... this is nothing new, but I want to re-enforce the point that we live in a very delicate society...a "glass menagerie" if you will.  Sure it is pretty to look at from afar, but one swift knock and it will fall off the table of balance and shatter into a million pieces.

We as a society are for the most part .... not ready for that shattering... or "The Event".   We like out conveniences  we like our phones... our iPads... running water, gas stove, power for that matter ... but when that all fails... What is left?

This week was the final Presidential debate... and a rather boring one at that.  I liked the last one better... much better... it was more exciting... more on point....

Sure foreign policy is important and plays a huge role in how The Event will shake out with human existence,  but both parties are just so far out of alignment that they can't truly see what is coming and how they need to take on the mantle of leadership and prepare us for what we need to do.

They have gotten so far away from what our fore-fathers had planned for us.  Freedom is gone by the wayside... liberty is gone by the wayside... Faith is gone by the wayside.

I want to make sure that as you read tonight's post that you think back over the past year and decide that two weeks from now... what will you do?

Are you better off?

Is your family better off?

Do our leaders have our best in mind... or do they just want to have "more influence" in the world?

Are you ready for more years of trouble ahead....?  Fuel prices are still up, food prices are going to increase.... taxes are going to increase.

I truly believe that right now we are being given a chance with "7 years aplenty" before things get really bad.  I want you to take advantage of things now... I want you to be able to provide for your family when the "7 years of famine" come!

We have to ween ourselves away from the total reliance on technology .. sure we can still use it.  In fact it helps get our message of liberty and freedom out there!  It is a powerful tool.

It still has to be our medium to deliver the message.  But you need to mentally prepare yourself for a day that none of that will be available.

Chew on what I have said above and consider you or your families future.  Keep your faith in God... but work your butt off down here on earth to be ready for "The Event".

Until next time....