Laura Bruno – The American Collapse : A More Optimistic Response – 16 October 2013

I tried to leave the following as a comment on Zen Gardner’s recent post, “The American Collapse ~ One Giant False Flag.” For some reason, the computer kept eating my comment, telling me to “Please fill form,” and yet (miraculously) not deleting that comment when I hit “back.” After three tries, it occurred to me that maybe this was a nudge just to post the comment here in a slightly expanded form. Perhaps it will inspire some readers to action, and with any good fortune, a pingback will enable my comment where I meant it to post.

Three words: permaculture, permaculture, permaculture. Seriously, have any of you heard of Transition Towns and permaculture? Yes, we face challenges, and certainly, many will not survive, but there ARE many of us actively working together at the local community level to have systems in place for when the SHTF. Are those systems/options already fully functioning? To varying degrees, but relationships among like-minded, problem-solving, spiritually grounded, caring, local people ARE already happening, at least in some areas. If they’re not already happening in your areas, wherever you live, it would be a really good idea to cultivate those relationships now. It can start with even just being friendly with your neighbor.

I have clients who went through 9/11 and various other disasters. They have, almost uniformly, shared with me the deep bonds they developed with friends, neighbors and family during those times. Natural instinct is for people to join together. Yes, there will be looters, but if people see the writing on the walls, they can still work now to set up some local safety nets.

Some good books to read: “Navigating the Coming Chaos” by Carolyn Baker; “Active Hope” by Joanna Macy and Chris Johnstone; as well as any good gardening books you can get your hands on such as “Four-Season Harvest,” “Gaia’s Garden” and “Mini Farming: Self-Sufficiency on a 1/4 Acre.” I personally also like to have hard copies of whatever books I find give me spiritual and poetic inspiration in the event that the internet shuts off.

I would also include learning some form of self-defense, whatever that means for you. For me, personally, that involves more energetic and magickal self-defense, but that only works if you’re really committed to and knowledgeable about how to move those energies. Joining in community is an excellent insurance policy. So is learning personal energy management — shift your vibration, remind yourself “I am always in the right place at the right time, doing the right thing.” For those who want other methods of defense, I would say, decide on something fast, acquire it now, and start learning how to use it ASAP.

Yes, we face huge, life-altering challenges, but some of us HAVE chosen (deliberately) to stick around in the US in order to help the shift. For a taste of this process, check out what’s happening at the hyper-local level with organic farmers in Detroit. It’s a whole ‘nother world beyond the disaster. Most preppers think of protecting their own, and that’s one way to go about it. Another way is to look around and assess what’s needed in your community, find others willing to help bring those things into being, and git ‘er done. Time’s a’ticking, illusory old codger that it is…

Peace!