It's magic, you know

       Trying to plan ahead and guess what will happen is a crap shoot at best. Add in your own situation and budget, and your own confidence in your ability to plan out about any situation, and, well, it's magic, you know.

            Even I have had to fall back on my own experience.  The old classic line applies to me. It goes like "for lack of knowing what to do, we do what we know". So said another way, my standards are that of an expeditionary Marine, which many of my relatives and friends may not like. And my process has been years in the making from when I first started planning and setting up things.

            There's just so much we count on that I did not imagine when I started my own process. Trying to replicate all that is impossible for me...like building  and manning a hospital. Or having  a government come on my land and confiscate things.  So I have had to adjust my standards, really use my judgment, and hope I guessed best. And as a fall back I have had to plan a cemetery, too. Well, it's magic, you know.

            Now all this I am putting myself through has brought several things into my mind I never would have imagined years ago. For example, I am becoming somewhat more religious. And I am having to make decisions, often budget influenced, as to what to stockpile. And I can generally guess what will happen, but the timing is just beyond even my own confidence factor as to when it will happen. Meanwhile I have shelf life things to consider. That's a factor, too. And like many, I had supreme confidence in my own abilities to succeed as I set myself up.  Now I am not so sure, like the world is more interconnected that I imagined.

            For example, in my imagination, if our health care declines, then pandemics may arise, and can I anticipate all of them? Of course, I can't, though I sure wish I could. An example could be simple, like malaria and other mosquito borne  diseases coming back where I live in east Tennessee. Even in the last century our ancestors had to deal with this problem, and did.

            And I am blessed as to to where I live. No place is perfect, but at least I have water and land to grow food on and animals to catch and eat, if I have to.  But I also have a nearby interstate highway that may bring all kinds of problems. But back to blessings. I pretty much like what I have right now.

            Well, it's magic, you know.

            Last, let me just say it. All my plans and hopes and inspirations may be dashed by others that may cause me harm and suffering. If this comes to pass, so be it. I still have to plan ahead and try survive the unexpected. And I expect this "suffering" period will only last so long, like a year or two.

            And if it doesn't come to pass, well, that's a real good thing. And I have to plan for that, too, like stockpiling for dual use purposes, keeping in mind shelf life problems, too. All this is part of change, I guess.

            And all change is not good. I just wish I could ask all those that have died in our past what they thought of the change that killed them. And the numbers are in the millions. And it has been throughout the whole world, to include tribes, cultures, and political systems.

            It's magic, you know.