The Solitary Man’s Refuge (15 page)
Read The Solitary Man’s Refuge Online
Authors: Ron Foster
The Moringa seeds yield 38–40% edible oil (called
ben oil from the high concentration of behenic acid
contained in the oil). The refined oil is clear and odorless
and resists rancidity at least as well as any other botanical
oil. The seed cake remaining after oil extraction may be
used as a fertilizer or as a flocculent to purify water. The
bark, sap, roots, leaves, seeds, oil, and flowers are used in
traditional medicine in several countries. In Jamaica, the
sap is used for a blue dye.
The flowers are also cooked and relished as a
delicacy in West Bengal and Bangladesh, especially
during early spring.
“Wow, I never heard of this plant before. That is
one very useful tree to have around!” Cat exclaimed, trying
to picture one.
“Yea, it is, I just hope we don’t have to end up
depending on eating lots of different plants to survive. I
don’t know what this solar storm is going to do with the
weather but I am sure I won’t think it’s very nice.” Bubba
said, speeding up to take advantage of a clear stretch of
road
now. You think he is there?” Cat asked.
“He is supposed to be there or be on his way to get
there. He told me where to find a key if he wasn’t about, so
I guess we are fine either way. He will get in sometime
today or tomorrow, I imagine, if he doesn’t have trouble
with traffic or is experiencing car problems.” Bubba told his
wife.
Fair Thee Wells
Betsy looked overwhelmed and flabbergasted as
the full impact of Janice’s little speech about solar
disasters sunk in.
“SO YOU DON’T THINK THEY WILL GET THE
POWER BACK ON FOR YEARS?” Betsy said, appalled at
the notion, her mind reeling as she fought back a creeping
panic.
“Possible, I suggest that you bug out to that friend
of yours Steve’s place in the mountains as soon as you
can. Travel is just going to get a little rougher and harder
every day that passes from now on.” Janice counseled her
distraught friend.
“I’m sorry to say that I think you are right in your
predictions, looks like I got me some serious packing to
do. What are you going to do, are you leaving for
somewhere also?” Betsy asked Janice.
“Good question. First thing I am going to do is go
check on Donald’s mom and then mine to see if they are
safe. I got to get them aware of this situation and do some
kind of strategic planning for them and with them. I think
Donald is supposed to be coming back today, but no
telling how long it will take him to get here from Florida or
when he left there. I sure hope he comes in today and
doesn’t decide to stay over at the farm waiting on us to
come to him for some reason. I bet he comes in town as
quick as he can though, he is pretty responsible when it
comes to checking on his mother.” Janice told her after
contemplating how to second-guess Donald’s
methodology and timing.
ride this storm out?” Betsy asked.
“Well, I am supposed to be going to Donald’s and
bugging out with him, but I think I might just hang out with
the family in Ramer for awhile and see my sister and mom
settled in. It depends on conditions how long I wait to
move in his direction. I know this change in plans will upset
him at first, but I think he will try to understand and be
supportive.” Janice said, dreading telling Donald she would
not be in his bug out convoy as they had rehearsed over
and over before when playing out mental scenarios or
drills how to get out of the city after a big disaster.
“Oh, I don’t think you are giving him enough credit.
He will see your concerns and it will be ok.” Betsy said
reassuringly.
“I don’t know, I think he might feel a bit betrayed by
me and my preps going a different way, but you’re right; he
will most likely get over it and just tell me to try to hurry to
his place when I can see my way clear.” Janice responded
a bit hesitatingly.
Betsy said trying to reassure her.
“Look, I got some packing to do if I am heading out
early tomorrow morning. I will stop by later this evening
and say my farewells, but I think it is best I get started
back to my house now.” Betsy tearfully told Janice and
then gave her friend a huge bear hug before they parted to
ready for their separate bugging out packing preparations.
“
Hell, I don’t even know where to start organizing
on that mountain of preps in my spare room. There was no
way even amongst three vehicles she could possibly move
everything she and Donald had amassed and he had
helped her store in that room. I feel guilty too, I never really
got around to breaking down my food stores into
reasonable size or content units. I got cases of one thing,
mixed cases of dissimilar food stores, partial cases, etc.,
so evenly dividing it based on content is out of the
question at the moment. First things first I guess. I will put
Donald’s extra bug out bag and weapons on the couch by
the front door along with mine to be the first things
grabbed and ready to go. She never had figured out just
how many supplies or bug out bags Donald actually had,
but she knew he probably had a bunch of crap over at his
mom’s house too that would take up a lot of room in his
mom’s car. Donald! Donald where are you at, my boy? I
hope you’re safe. Hell, I know you’re safe, probably having
the time of your life too, plotting and scheming how you’re
going to get us all and a few adopt-a-puppies or strays
safely through this might- be apocalypse. Well, you called
this bugaboo dead-on, nobody will be nay saying you
now.” Janice said to herself bitterly and set about
prioritizing her preps for movement. Preps she had, time
was another matter. Time to kick it into high gear and just
getter done!
A few hours later a knock came on Janice’s front
door and she put on a false front and cheerfulness as she
let Betsy in, after spying through her peephole and
recognizing her outline and voice.
“Well, I got about as much done as I am going to
tonight. You want to sit on the porch and finish that drink
we were having?” Janice said to a hot and tired Betsy.
“That sounds good. I got my van loaded. Wish I
could take some of that gas I got in my car with me, but I
don’t have a container for it.” Betsy bemoaned.
“You can dump the oil gas mixture out of that can
Donald has for the weed eater and tiller and take it with
you.” Janice offered, remembering she had a full five
gallon jerry can of stabilized gas stored for herself in the
shed and smiled to herself at the memory of her Donald
insisting last month that it had to be filled and wishing he
were here to help her load it into her car.
Betsy asked.
“No, there is a big ant hill out back by the garden
you can dump it on and get rid of those pests. Not much
left in that can anyway, I don’t think. You got a siphon
hose?” Janice responded.
sure it won’t hurt your garden?” Betsy asked.
“It won’t hurt anything, that anthill is some distance
from my raised beds. I guess I will leave the garden with
Mary if she wants it, might help her get by. Oh, Betsy, I
feel so guilty about leaving so many friends in the city, but
there is nothing else I can see to do.” Janice said tearing
up and both women beginning to cry.
“All we can do is to be offering up some prayers
for them now, I suppose, and try to survive for ourselves
as best we can. Mary is a tough old bird anyway, I am sure
she will do fine by herself.” Betsy said sniveling a bit and
trying to dry her eyes as they discussed one of their
favorite neighbors neither of them had contacted yet with
the disastrous news they now possessed and fretted over.
Mental Misery
Donald began to think back on all his college
courses and the various FEMA training he had taken in
emergency management over the years to try and figure
out the prevailing human factors that were soon going to
impact him and the world in the weeks to come. Culture
and religion have always come to the forefront when trying
to predict conflicts or mental attitudes and stressors. The
mental health of those around him was a huge concern of
his to take into account right now. He already had a pretty
good understanding of the effects of Post Traumatic Stress
from his own first hand experiences and that would of
course be on the rise and be a more prevalent mental
health issue amongst the populace now. The adverse
effects of separation and major dislocation on mental and
physical health would soon be a commonplace malady
everyone was contending with.
Mental Health: The shock of so many disruptions,
so much anxiety, sickness, death and grief will cause high
levels of stress for even the most resilient parent or
neighborhood. Before the solar storm hit, every community
included adults and kids with the full range of mental
health strengths, weaknesses and most of the common
mental disorders. I want the reader to be aware that the
1% that cause 80% of crime on a normal day will increase
to at least a 3% figure as they become more and more
desperate or bold in an extended emergency event.
take stock of your situation.
immediate panic:
Size up the situation.
Undue haste makes waste.
Remember where you are.
Vanquish fear and panic.
Improvise.
Value living.
Act like the locals.
Lean on your basic skills.
While a survival situation will be a traumatic
experience for most people, the effects it will have will
depend on circumstances. For instance, being stranded in
an environment where the basic requirements for survival
are available will not be as traumatic as in a harsh
environment containing no visible signs of the basic
requirements for survival.
Survivors will face many stresses that can lessen
the will to survive. It is necessary to understand that stress
is simply our reaction to pressure. Too much stress will
lead to distress, resulting in anti-social behavior, angry
outbursts, an inability to get on with others, difficulty
making decisions, an inability to accept responsibility and
eventually withdrawal from the group.
The most important stressors in a survival situation
include injury, illness, death and uncertainty, lack of
control, environment, hunger, thirst, fatigue and isolation.
These are natural reactions to stress that need to be
recognized, expected and for which strategic interventions
need to be implemented. These include fear, anxiety,
anger, frustration and depression. It is important you do
not over-react, don’t panic and remain as calm as possible
and remain focused on survival.
Do recognize that you are in a survival situation and
don’t be afraid to make an honest appraisal of the situation
for yourself. Get your thoughts on track by employing the
survival mnemonic and recognize any survival stressors
that may be present that you can tackle. Overcome any
negative attitude assumptions and adopt a positive
attitude.
relying on you to do your share are at stake.
When groups attempt to function under severe
stress for an extended period of time, or when they are
traumatized, a predictable process occurs: the group and
its members fixate on the cause of the threat or the
traumatic event and self-destructive interpersonal
dynamics develop in the group.
One of the most destructive of these dynamics is
fragmentation. Subgroups form along “cultural fault lines.”
The less integrated and more diverse the group, the
deeper and wider the fault lines. These fractures bring to
the fore pre-existing conflicts or tensions arising from
differences of religion, ethnicity, culture, language,
geography, age, work style, or status.
Much research, discourse and controversy
becomes apparent when studying so called “Hurricane
Cultures”. These are cultures of people that were raised or
conduct their business daily where hurricanes have a
predictable likelihood of occurring. Some say these people
have become inoculated to the effects of this type of
experience through first or second hand experience. One
such hurricane culture place is Cuba.
In "Winds of Change: Hurricanes and the
Transformation of Nineteenth-Century Cuba" (UNC Press,
2001), Perez, a New York native whose grandfather was
born in Cuba, examines questions about national
character and recurring calamities. "What makes the
French French? What makes Americans Americans? One
factor is environment -- weather patterns, famine, harsh
climates, earthquakes, floods are all assimilated into
cultural characteristics," he said.
This argument is true of any community facing a
recurring threat of calamity, he added. "People who live
under the shadow of volcanoes or monsoons live in a
culture of calamity. What’s fascinating to me is how these
cultures begin to adapt to the possibility of catastrophe and
to assimilate the peril into their everyday lives.”
In Cuba, Perez said, hurricanes have created an
overriding sense of being subjected to forces beyond one’s
control. "Many people say, ‘Why spend too much time
thinking about the future? Why not live for the moment?’"
he said. "But this has also created a culture of people who
are conscious of the need for cooperation and
collaboration; every year, communities must work together
to develop the skills and attitudes necessary to prevail.
Otherwise, they’ll perish. So there’s a cultural emphasis
on community unity in crisis and heroism."
http://www.unc.edu/news/archives/nov01/perez112901.ht
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