by Todd Walker
These are a few thoughts from notes in my journal.
What are values?
A person values whatever he acts to gain or keep.
To discover your values, pay close attention to your actions. We are all working towards being better prepared and self-sufficient. Once you’ve achieved some of your goals, you want to keep whatever it is you’ve gained.
Since inanimate, non-living things like rocks and hammers are not able to act, they don’t have values. You’re pocket knife has no way of acting to achieve goals. Tools don’t generate their own action. Your hand makes them useful.
Rocks and hammers consist of matter. We learned this in science class. Matter can change form but it can’t be destroyed. The existence of matter is not dependent upon action. A boulder can be crushed into gravel for your muddy driveway. It’s still rock. Only a smaller form.
Only living things have values because values come from self-sustaining action. All living organisms have values.
For instance, your tomato plants grow roots into the moist ground and vines into the air on tomato ladders. They value minerals in the compost, water beneath mulch, and sunlight for photosynthesis. Moose, our oldest dog, hunts squirrels and lays by Dirt Road Girl on the sofa. He values squirrel meat and mama’s loving.
Preppers take action to gain and keep food, water, shelter, health, and security. Why? Because humans value life. And life is a series of self-generated and sustainable actions. If we don’t take these actions, we die. We act so we can live in uncertain times – job loss, major illness, loss of a spouse, natural or manmade disaster, or an actual societal or economic collapse.
People have free will and can choose life serving values or not. That’s the beauty of living things verses non-living things. The actions we choose to take can further our journey towards life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The flip-side of free will is that we can choose to not pursue these values.
To survive and thrive, preppers act. But our action must be led by rational thought. Our first ancestors thought of ways to make tools, hunt and gather food, make clothing, and build shelter. Survival takes action and rational thought.
Imagine the first caveman. A sound startles him from his nap by the creek. He picks up a piece of flint and throws it at the noise. He fords the water to discover a sharp splinter broken off the rock. The razor-like edge draws blood from his finger tip. Eureka!
He thinks to himself, “Hum, this would make a great cutting tool!”
Back at his cave, he tells his story to his clan. From that moment on, and throughout history, his nickname is ‘Flint Knapper.’
He later discovers, by trial and error and thought, that he can make all kinds of useful tools from rock. This enabled his tribe to efficiently pursue their survival values – eating and taking longer naps.
I believe values must have originated in the state of Missouri – The Show Me State. I know this by what Dirt Road Girl once told me, “Don’t just tell me you love me. Show me!” How’s the saying go? Actions speak louder than words.
How do we know what actions to take? Preppers take actions to preserve life. Life is our ultimate value. Life is dependent upon action.
What’s your values? You’ll find them in your most important self-sustaining actions.
Keep doing the stuff,
Todd
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