This is THE question of the times, for the "coming times" have already begun.
This article will begin a new thread in TEOLAWKI Times. Please contribute your story so we can all learn from each other's experiences. ~ Michele
I have been sitting with this question for the last few days. In the fifteen years since my three week internship at the Titanic Lifeboat, I have adopted some conservation methods. I collect water as it is heating in the shower and for dishes to use to flush the toilet and water the plants.
I have started a garden and poured into efficiency in my household when appliances needed to be replaced. Limiting my energy usage, through the thermostat and air drying clothes. I compost! I even got a machine that breaks down meat/cheese and our community composts. In fact I was thrilled the other day at one elementary school where I subbed, their PTA come to the school for lunch and guide 2/3 of the waste to our county-wide compost program.
But what else have I actually done beyond that?
Educating myself, through conversations and reading non-fiction books. But the biggest thing is that I am immersing myself in building a community and engaging with my community:
- by supporting the Farmer’s Market weekly,
- by keeping my dollars local
- by building friendly relationships with people growing food here
- by attending our neighborhood monthly coffee gatherings
- by fostering friendships and mutually helping each other when there is a need.
And therein lies our strength and what gets us through any calamity - the preparations we make in advance and the relationships and community we engage in to keep each other afloat.
So in writing this, I can see that there is more of a foundation than I initially thought of how have I prepared for things to come. I recommend immersing in your community and creating whatever personal steps you can to strengthen your own self-sufficiency as well as that of your community.
Author 
Michele Henn, a graduate of USC, had a management career in professional racing, led projects worldwide for Habitat for Humanity, and r has been Titanic Lifeboat Academy's Board President since 2018. Having earned her degree in marine science, Michele made a career in professional racing management, and since 2022 has been creating an urban homestead for her own family.
