Kid Communities - Part 4

The communities we live in are the ones we must look at with the most critical of lenses. Our neighbors, our friends, our family. The strangers next door. But to what extent are we actually aware of this community aspect in our lives? To what extent are we  just assuming the best and hoping everything will always remain the same? The reality is that when disaster knocks at the door, just as hurricanes Michael and Florence have recently done on the East Coast of the United States, we are forced to rely upon connections out of need, but...

...imagine the power of a community that is prepared before a disaster? There are few force multipliers like the helping hand of a family member, a friend, or a neighbor.

There have been multiple times when I've relied on help from neighbors - and provided help to those in need - to make sure a state of normalcy is maintained even in a life-altering event, or in the aftermath. I've helped change flat tires, I've been pulled from ditches, I've had resources when my wood shed is a little too lean. The aspect of community seems to reign supreme now just as much - if not more - than it did ages ago when families would band together to share skill sets, buying power, resources, intelligence.

James Walton has opened the door to new truths in this realm of community. The resurgence of knowing your neighbor and helping where help is needed and preventing fallout in times of need is a groundbreaking aspect of preparedness that should never be neglected. When it comes to teaching our children this skill it can be challenging. How do you explain the duplicity of skills to a toddler? How do you explain the exponential security provided by others while you sleep? It is a foreign idea that has since been replaced by modern police, modern services, modern aid. This idea arguably can't be explained - it must be lived. And by living in community, embracing it and expanding upon it, those little eyes looking up to you will in turn learn the skill and realize its benefit over time.

Walton's work has opened my eyes to the potential of a neighborhood watch, community garden, security force, and group purchasing power that I never imagined possible. But the logic is so simple that it is sound beyond refute. When communities work together, they become a force to be reckoned with in nearly any disaster. When a bug-out scenario isn't likely (or possible) your neighbors and friends will become your resources, your shoulders, your arms, your backs, your legs, your eyes, and your ears. Becoming a team is something that can be taught through team sports, but becoming a community can only be taught by knocking on doors, meeting your neighbors, and forming bonds that could very well mean the difference between survival and fending for yourself among an onslaught of wolves at the door. 

By learning these skills early - how to make contact, how to build bonds, how to develop skills, etc., you can be the tip of the spear for your family, your community, your neighborhood. It may be as simple as knowing the people on the floor of your apartment and joining forces, or tapping into the homeowners on your block and making real, tangible connections. Whatever it takes, this ability to reach out and form connections is a life skill that your family will benefit during an emergency, as well as later on in life as they learn the power of making connections in the world outside the safety under your roof.

Take a moment to give Walton's book a read, make the commitment, and create a connection - even if it is only one - and you will benefit in times of need or be able to provide to others in ways you never thought possible. Become more with your service to others and take responsibility of your family into your own hands by stepping up and answering the call. The call of community.

Buy the Book!

Episode 16 - Kid Communities Part 4 ( Coming Soon)