When I first got the inkling that the world would come to an end, the urge to prepare overtook me. In the event that the world experienced some sort of collapse as opposed to an extinction event like nuclear annihilation, I wanted to to be able to not only survive, but thrive. Because whereas some say they can’t live without cable TV, the idea of a world without television has always appealed to me. So I made up the standard list of things I would have to do, gear I would have to acquire.

Topping the list of property-to-be-acquired was land, because land is what would enable you to build shelter and defenses. Then you would need tools with which to work, tools for food production and tools for creation (woodworking tools, for example).

Perhaps even more important than property would be the intangible skill sets you would need to make it on your own. You would need to know how to use those tools. You would need to know how to deal with life- livestock, crops, pests. You’d need to not only know how to work wood, but how to do it with only hand tools. And because there would be no stores from which to purchase milled lumber, you would need to know how to fell and mill your own. This requires knowledge, too, as you have to dry the wood before milling in most cases. You have to know how to cut it, and you would probably need a large two-man saw to saw the wood. That means you need more people…

Hmmm…people. There was that one little detail I was leaving out. But it took me a while to realize this fact.

The more I learned about the technique for survival (and “thrival”?), the more I realized there was to learn. About everything. Humanity has collectively accumulated an amazing body of work involved in living on earth. Our tools are works of art, possessing a utilitarian and practical beauty that has evolved through trial and error and experience. When we pick up, say, a saw, we hold in our hands wisdom that took generations to produce. It’s easy to get caught up in the romance of these things, the details of How to Do. But it slowly dawned on me that there was only so much one person could do. If I wanted to learn all the particulars about food production, woodworking, food storage, pickling, rearing livestock, growing a food forest, foraging for food, medicinal herbs, soapmaking, candlemaking, leatherworking, blacksmithing, lumberjacking, natural building with earth, natural building with wood, natural building with alternative materials, humanure composting, composting, soil science, biochar, wooden surfboard building, acupuncture, massage, music, boat building, beekeeping, keeping pigeons for food, keeping chickens, spearfishing, pruning, grafting, pottery, shoemaking, fabric making, making clothes, sharpening knives and other tools, medical treatment, meditation, tantra, and tai chi chuan (among other things), I would need my whole life just to try everything, and several lifetimes to become competent in all of them. Indeed, my hands are full with just the few from this list I have chosen to focus on (posts will be made about these).

So it made sense when I came across Toby Hemenway’s article about the myth of self-reliance. Oh, yeah. One person can’t really do it all, not happily, at least. Or I couldn’t do it happily, being tied up in one task or another from sunup to sundown and beyond- I want time to relax, too, dammit. I don’t think humans were meant to spend every waking moment working their asses off. Didn’t hunter-gatherers have a ton of leisure time, after all? I’ve since heard it repeated over and over- build a network of personal relationships, a community. Your survival efforts are much more likely to succeed that way. Because not only are you not likely to survive on your own, it’s even less likely you’ll enjoy doing it. Even the sometimes-misanthropic part of me has to admit that I like being around people on a daily basis. I’d rather live in a post-apocalyptic world in a community than alone in a super secure compound where I would be able to kill would-be intruders from a tower (as a former boss claims he wants to do- you should see how excited he gets when he talks about it (did I mention I recently quit my job)).

At the same time, the skills we need for survival ARE a gift from our ancestors, and the demand that we learn these skills is justified. Traditional knowledge is a great focal point around which to meet people and start building a community. And new traditions are being invented all the time- just look at the rocket stove. I hope to take part in this kind of learning and sharing of knowledge, starting this summer here in Okinawa.