Let's start a discussion about "community"

[Lowdown3]

What does it mean in a survival context to you?

How do you plan to go about achieving it?

What are you doing now towards that goal?

What are the upsides you see in this?

What are the pitfalls you see in this?

I'm curious to people's real ideas regarding this.

[norincofl]

I've now been invited to join two different, radically different, preparedness groups. Both didn't work out long-term for me different reasons as well. The second attempt I think I was trying to learn from past mistakes and ended up being way more interested in being a productive and contributing group member than anyone else. And so that second effort didn't last a year. Both groups were a few hours drive away.

There were both good efforts in both groups to foster a sense of community amongst the main members and their families via email, phone calls and monthly weekends. But it was always difficult to keep the survival community separate from the daily community such as local friends, people at work, church groups, etc. The local community you have is the people who are there in the hard parts of life everyday.

What I think now is that community is going to require a relationship between proximity and time.

For example, I've got a friend that lives a few states away. We see each other once or twice a year at most. But I've known him for almost 30 years. So while our proximity isn't close, the amount of time we've been friends allows for continued community between us. We also still usually talk weekly.

I've also got a small group of guys who get together and train twice a week in our physical preparedness. A friend and I started this group just over 4 years ago. Most of the members have only been coming for the last couple of years at most. We laugh, grunt and sweat together no matter if it is cold, hot or raining. Some of the guys drive 20-30 minutes twice a week for this one-way. They're committed and we know what's going on in one another's lives. We share with one another now. We're in close proximity with one another regularly. It's the community that's needed in the here and now. It's what community has always been about. And it's this community I would trust in a survival context as well. Trust isn't hoped for, it's tested regularly in this case.

The pitfalls of this? It costs me a little bit extra in food storage. But I've got a group of a fit, motivated people that I can trust.

[protus]

I'm building people up...close family..old friends. Getting them motivated.
Few old "camping " friends swing in from time to time and we talk..train..plan.
Nothing serious but ground work and foundation building.
At times I get a hair and wish to roll in the mud...but I'm an old broken man...lmao .hehehe.

I think the biggest hurdle is for any one commitment and time.
Even my brother ..cant commit to a trail run every night...is what it is. I still try and go

Local com.unity is key but having extended relationships can be benifical as well.
But they are harder to maintain,especially if your not tied in personally to that person.
Aka the left off where you stopped ...because you've know a person for 20 y3ars.

I think the scenario you plan for is key in how your community is formed. There needs to be a core idea/goal in play.
You got 4 guys who want to be the Marion county irregulars ..and 3 that want to just homestead..or buy preps and call it good. There's gonna be some challenges to complete goals ..but it's doable..

Knowing your limits as well is key...and keeping ego in check.

I told someone(s) a ways back. When it came up about dealing with a person(s) we all knew.
In the greater picture..the goal is more important..but in the end,we ain't swapping spit around the camp fire. Lol .
Community is doing just that. Once folks see that not everyone is gonna be lovey dovey things can get done. Conflicts can be managed and people put to greater use.

Or

Just vote em' off the island and as old Trump would say "your fired ".
Lmao

[1Admin]

Great replies.

Keep them coming guys.

This term "community" seems to mean different things to different people now a days. Two replies so far seem to focus primarily on survival groups, yet some talk of "community" as in those living day to day next door to you. So know that it's o.k. to discuss that also. The discussion is about what these things mean to YOU.

Personally, I'm a fairly private person and so is our family. That doesn't always jive well locally where everyone wants to know where you live, what church you go to, when did you move here? To me those are totally intrusive questions coming from some jamoke I don't know. To them, it's partially acting like good little southerners but a lot of the times it's just gossip fodder and it's really easy to tell that. "They ain't from round here", never seems to truly go away. Feed the homeless, donate time, treasure and teaching time for a decade, sometimes you still don't seem to make progress. We have found "more than a few" local folks that are preparedness minded, although we have tried to convert ZERO folks locally (too risky). Some that we have known closely for almost a decade that are astute people did begin to figure things out a bit over time, even without us talking about it, etc. This is what I've always said about the "gray man" principle being BS as an overall strategy- smart people see through it. It took about 7 years but one fellow in a circle we run in realized I was never really answering his questions but I was talking a lot. This guy's no dummy, very well educated, knows how to get along in the world, that sort of thing. We are carpooling with others one day to an event and he says "ever notice how Robert answers your question but doesn't really answer your question about certain things?" LMAO. Busted! Well fast forward a few years and he's mentioning these little projects like building rocket stoves, learning to make fire with bow drill. I'm thinking WTF over?? I'm giving him some info here and there- "try this when you do that" etc. He's asking me about potential SHTF situations, etc. I'm thinking at first he's messing with me (he knows about my business but I've always downplayed it). Finally I told him "hey, take it slow", your the only "normal" friend I have!! In other words, only friend that isn't a survivalist!!!

[protus]

Guess I'm the same. Loner type.
My wife..well. she'll talk and chit chat with locals on a dime.
But..tberes only 1800 people here. Everyone kinda know a everyone . By choice or just daily contact.
We do the neighbor talk with the older couple next door.
Family my age bought a small project home across the street few years back.
We talk..do social events together. Guy is all into "homestead" style hobbies...
Has similar political beliefs etc. But , no talk of PAW stuff. But he's not dumb..
First time I met him I was wearing a T-shirt some forum I'm on.....lol
Hi I'm protus..dont mind my ratty gadsen hat and sweaty S and P shirt :p .
Oh well...3 years later it's all good. We swap jellies ..and recipes .. the wife units try to out bake each other...

I think it's easier in a more "surburban" environment to grow and nurture relationships vs rural.
I'm still the new neighbor....cause I ain't been here since 76'