Kids changed everything for rural Georgia veterinarian and prepper

For me, prepping was the natural progression of my mental health in dealing with a changing world. I have always been one who wanted to be secure in my life, to have a plan and goals. When it was just me, that was pretty loose and fast. However, when I got married and started having kids, I realized that my responsibilities were much larger, and there were now things more important than just me. When my kids were young, it was just worrying about illnesses and diapers. However, my oldest is 10, and I see so much stuff out there that terrifies me for her. I cannot protect her from everything, I wouldn’t even try — everyone has to get hurt on their own sometimes to learn. But by the same token, I am the man in charge and therefore the person responsible. I take that very seriously. If something were to happen, I have three kids who would expect me to be ready and have a plan. One day I just realized I wasn’t ready for even a disruption of supplies for more than three days, and that really scared me. So I decided it was time to look into prepping.

There was a story told recently about a couple that came into TruPrep. She was American and he was from Nigeria. She’d been talking to him about prepping, and he was having a hard time understanding what it was all about. After they got to the store and she showed him what she wanted to do and why, he finally understood and explained his confusion. “What you want to do,” he explained, “is the way we live where I come from.”

I think of [National Geographic Channel’s “Doomsday Preppers”] probably just like everyone in Georgia thinks of Honey Boo Boo: “Great, now this is what everyone in the country thinks people in Georgia are like.” Example: You said you were the music editor for CL. OK, what if a bunch of TV executives decided that they were going to put together a show about the music industry, to show the ins and outs of the business, and the hard work and dedication of so many people to create music that is listened to and admired by millions of people. And they choose for their artist to feature ... Lady Gaga. When they finish the final cut of the first episode, it revolves around her fashion and her wigs, with a bit of music just thrown in. They don’t show how she is a concert pianist, they don’t show her in the studio re-recording the same track 40 times to make sure she gets it right. They just want to flaunt the meat dress. Does that do the industry right? Does that document the sacrifices and hours of practice and sweat most musicians go through? Not even close.

There are 400 TV channels to choose from, not to mention Yahoo, YouTube, and Netflix. Stations have to do something shocking or eye-grabbing to get people to watch. Are you going to get that with a show about suburban families who have six months of food stocked up, have a garden, and are raising chickens for their eggs? You won’t even get two viewers. Instead, find the fringe of a group, display them as the norm, and you have a ratings bonanza. The danger of shows like these is that, for whatever profession, hobby, or activity they are showing, they have stigmatized this group. Now, if anyone says that they do this activity, the norm portrayed by the show will taint that person as insane, ridiculous, and stupid, making them hide their activity. Do you look on New Jersey any better after “The Jersey Shore”? Sure, you know that it doesn’t represent everyone there, but tell me you don’t automatically picture Snooki anytime anyone says New Jersey?

Meet the other preppers:

• Kids changed everything for rural Georgia veterinarian and prepper
• Ellie defends her ground as a female prepper

• John Lloyd is perfecting the art of the bug out bag

• 34-year-old prepper Justin S. believes in the six Ps