One Simple Question
One Simple Question – Papa Pepper
It is amazing what one simple question can do to a man. I’d already been through plenty enough in this life and dealt with all sorts of situations; going from an innocent kid who enjoyed bugs to graduating with high honors and perfect attendance while simultaneously beginning to become a drunken and drug crazed singer in a metal band, then running a drug den out of duplex where the landlord was a police officer which lead to living on a smoky painted school bus back in the days when 9/11 happened. The next two years are hard to piece together, but by New Year’s Eve 2003 I had moved to New Orleans which lasted until just before Hurricane Katrina. How strange it was that one simple question could affect my life more than all those experiences combined.
Shortly after my wife and I had our fourth child in our living room near the end of 2014 (it was a midwife assisted home water birth), I found myself a happily sober, happily married, father of four small children, all four and under. This was a situation that I had never expected, and certainly never expected to ever embrace! Yet, that is where I was. Then came the question, “What if the power went out?”
Now, I’ve been through several power outages. Most likely anyone with electricity has. I’m not talking about just a few hours or a few days, and I’m not talking about indefinitely either. But I had never considered what a power outage of a week or two would do to our existence, yet, whether accidental or intentional, that would be such a simple situation to encounter. Previously, not much thought would have been given to such a postulation. If the power was out, it would probably just be time to loot and attempt to get away with as much mayhem as possible. Now though, as the sole earthly provider for a family of six, I would have a lot of weight on my shoulders if the power went out for a couple weeks.
First of all, food and water would be the primary issues. We could perhaps find ample nutrition for a week in our house, but I doubt if we could have eaten for much longer off of what was on hand. The fridge and freezer would have been the primary sources of foodstuff, but they wouldn’t last long during a power outage, plus, much of it would need to be cooked, which would necessitate an outside fire to even attempt success. Also, our small garden was often mostly strange varieties of hot peppers from around the world, so my children would not receive much nourishment from that. The majority of wild edibles growing in the yard (Plantain, Wood Sorrel, Dandelion, Lamb’s Quarters, etc.) were also unknown to us at the time, making the ¼ acre property our house was on basically useless. Since every local grocery store or restaurant would be looted and either empty or rotting within 48 hours, it seemed that within a very short amount of time we would be a family of six starving to death, just because of a simple power outage.
As I thought about it, I realized that there must be a better way. I would have an insufficient food supply, a partial tank of gas, and whatever cash wasn’t in the bank. I would essentially be instantly Third World, and DEAD BROKE. Nice job, Dad! Even during a minor power out lasting only a day or two credit and debit cards are worthless and the bank in incapable of giving you any of “your money.” Since businesses cannot remain open, even cash is marginalized, but it can still be an important bartering tool. Anyway, there would be no job to go to, nowhere to shop, only a partial tank of gas for any desired relocation, and food would be running out fast. Also, what would happen if a week long power outage happened in winter, in Wisconsin? How could I heat my house and prevent my family from freezing to death? The old wood-burning fireplaces of old have mostly been phased out or outlawed in many cities, so even if I had wood to burn, where could I safely do it inside my home, and how would I ventilate the smoke?
Of course many ideas may be foolish to think about, and many of them could certainly drive us mad if that was all did with our mental capabilities. However, there was a certain level of completely vulnerable that I was uncomfortable with, so I chose to do something about it. The present seemed like the best time, since my resources were still useful and the time and energy needed to make such a change were still in my possession. This began a process, and it is still ongoing, but we are currently involved in what may appear to be time travel, into the past.
What would have happened fifty or seventy years ago if the power went out? For many, they could simply light a candle, throw a log on the fire, and kill one of their pigs or goats. Life would go one, and in many ways, it would not have even been affected that much for many. Could such a life still exist, in America? Could it still be lived? Well, it can, but not in every municipality. For many reasons, we chose to do something, rather than just continue living the same way and hope that nothing ever happened.
Due to contemplating the answer to that simple question, I quit my job of eight years, we sold our house of five years, emptied the bank account, and moved out of state. The goal? Buying land outright, building a house out of pocket, planting edible plants and trees in the dirt, and keeping various livestock that reproduce after their own kind. What I will share in the future are pieces to this puzzle. One that we are still working on, but one that includes many adventures including such food as the Kiwano (African Horned Melon) and Chinese Noodle Beans and animals like our son’s MIA Rooster named Monster Truck the Eagle (Though we did see him earlier today, we are hoping for a successful recapture rather than having to sniper the AWOL rooster to reclaim the meat source).
Simply put, if a game that a child is playing is unplugged, it makes sense that the game ends. The lack of power prevents the electronic, digital world from continuing to be displayed on the child’s screen. My life, however, is not virtual or digital, it is reality, and should not cease to exist simply because someone pulled the plug.
Thank's for food for mind
Some a sad story...