We have become an awkward bunch. Not just preppers but people in general. In our struggle to build relationships with our neighbors we tend to present a fake identity in order not to scare people off or trip alarms in their head!
Thanks to cellphones, social media, and lockdown we have barreled headlong into a loneliness epidemic that everyone is now aware of. Strange creatures are now emerging from their homes, with darting eyes and unkempt hair, attempting to make a connection.
You must nurture this opportunity and build a community right where you live. However, there is one question you should never ask your neighbors. At least not until you really get to know them and have divulged some information about yourself, too.
That Question Is: ARE YOU A PREPPER?
Now, you might feel you have every justification to ask people this question because you are a prepper, too. Chances are your neighbor does not know that and you are going to create an atmosphere of distrust and concern.
Why would someone ask you a question like that? How would you feel if your neighbor just up and asked if you were a prepper?
In my experience it is best to let that flower unfurl in its own time.
The great news is that the current conditions in our world seem to be pushing more and more people towards being better prepared. We all know it’s up to us to weather cultural, governmental, and environmental disaster.
It’s incredible to stop and realize that we have dealt with all three of those kinds of threats. In my opinion, they aren’t going anywhere either.
Better Questions to Ask Your Neighbors
Not everyone is going to be a supreme prepping ally. However, it is better to have good relations with your neighbors than to be oblivious to one another. It’s much easier to go from oblivious to combative in a SHTF scenario than it is to go from friends to enemies.
It’s up to you to make those connections and build those relationships. Now is not the time to wait for people to make the first move.
So, here are some great questions or conversation starters to ask neighbors.
How do you like the neighborhood?
If you are looking to get a feel for what is important to a neighbor who lives near you this is a great question. You can often discern a lot about them based on what they like or dislike about where they live.
You can also get a read on how long someone plans on being your neighbor. If you hear them talking about things like a “starter home” or “flipping” then you know this person is not going to be a part of the community for a long time. Or at least they don’t plan to.
Do you want some eggs?
No one says no to this one.
It also opens the door to chickens, gardens, and other food production topics.
You will quickly get an understanding of whether a neighbor wants some chickens of their own or if they are averse to the idea of self-sufficiency.
It’s not that you should pass judgement either way, but it helps you better understand them. I have met more neighbors in the past year that either want or have chickens than in the previous 10 years! That’s a HUGE change.
Also, did you know that if you feed your chickens this plant, they will lay twice as many eggs? It’s an interesting tip to share with your neighbors, especially if they’re interested in boosting their egg production.
Plans for the weekend?
What do your neighbors do for fun? Is there common ground there? One of my closest prepping neighbors is fun to hang out with because we share some interests and because they are on the prepper’s path.
The answer to this can also open up the door for friendship. If you guys are both attending the same festival or event over the weekend you can meet up and start to really strengthen that bond.
Your Neighbors are your Greatest Preparedness Asset
Of all the preps you can have, people are an unmatched force multiplier.
No substitute exists for the benefits, varied skills, and camaraderie of having a group of survivors working through a serious disaster, emergency, or even a collapse.
There is power in numbers, of course.
You may need to project that power from time to time to keep bad guys from entering your neighborhood and overwhelming you.
I always tell my listeners over at PBN that you should cultivate relationships at home rather than travel to build some sort of survival community or MAG that will come together in tough times. I have seen the survival community and MAG idea fail too many times.
The best answer is to live with your MAG. That’s what a neighborhood, village, township has always been.
You could spend countless hours online trying to find/build a survival group with the right medical doctor, spec ops guys, wilderness expert etc. only to find you have some of those pieces a couple blocks from your own home.
My neighborhood is not a place rich people live but I found a chopper medic and a doctor in my own community. Get out there and make some connections! You never know who is living just around the corner.
Conclusion
We have undoubtedly entered an age of authenticity. We have been lied to enough, we are being lied to right now, and the gameplan of the leadership all over the world is, ‘keep lying.’ The mainstream media have sunk their own ship by lying incessantly.
In our personal interactions it’s clear we want someone who is real. This means you should be a person who says what they mean, isn’t afraid to apologize, and, most importantly, can get along with people they don’t agree with.
You will walk a lonely road searching for people who agree with you on everything. That also gets boring and predictable.
It’s worth the effort. Stopping on a walk and talking to neighbors, visiting them at home, having your kids play together, it makes for a very rewarding life!
via askaprepper
