Explaining it to my friends

[SEIndSAM]

Your first mistake was sharing with anyone that you prep, don't do that. Even close friends & family.

If they know that you are prepping, they have no incentive to prep themselves. They may just think, "Oh, if something happens, we will just go to my buddy's place, he will take care of us"......

 

[churchmouse]

Really? My close male friends are precisely the people I expect to sometimes make jokes at my expense. We have that level of comfort and freedom with each other. This is a simple disagreement. Most people don't require that their friends agree on everything, even strongly held beliefs. Being different religions doesn't stop most people from being friends. No reason people's attitudes on prepping should either.

I am thinking we need to know the level of the "Joking"
My friends pound on me as well but not to the point of being idiots so there accepted levels.

I do not say much about preps to anyone outside of a given circle. I do not want to be over ran if there was to be bad times.
People will do this.

 

[churchmouse]

Your first mistake was sharing with anyone that you prep, don't do that. Even close friends & family.

If they know that you are prepping, they have no incentive to prep themselves. They may just think, "Oh, if something happens, we will just go to my buddy's place, he will take care of us"......

This. Totally.

 

[bradmedic04]

Must spread rep around....

 

[churchmouse]

Must spread rep around....

Gave him a +10 for-ya

 

[possum_128]

Really? My close male friends are precisely the people I expect to sometimes make jokes at my expense. We have that level of comfort and freedom with each other. This is a simple disagreement. Most people don't require that their friends agree on everything, even strongly held beliefs. Being different religions doesn't stop most people from being friends. No reason people's attitudes on prepping should either.

It may not bother you but it appears that it bothers him. My comment was for his benefit not anyone else's. You may enjoy being the butt of people's jokes, not all do.

 

[BigBoxaJunk]

I become the butt of their jokes.

(No, I'm not going to ditch them as friends!!!)

Tell them you've slept with their wives.

 

[churchmouse]

It may not bother you but it appears that it bothers him. My comment was for his benefit not anyone else's. You may enjoy being the butt of people's jokes, not all do.

If you post it we will respond.
If it is for his eyes only send a PM.....easy peasy.
If we respond in a civil fashion just read it.

 

[possum_128]

If you post it we will respond.
If it is for his eyes only send a PM.....easy peasy.
If we respond in a civil fashion just read it.

Um, okay. My post was in response to the op. I never said it was for the op's eyes only, so no reason to send a pm. I have no problem with a response from anyone and have no problem with pudly's response at all, I was just pointing out that the op did seem to not like that. Not sure what you mean by 'just read it"

Sorry if I came off short, no offense to pudly, yourself or anyone else was intended.

I will now go and say 10 hail John Moses Browning and take two minutes to reflect on my comments.

 

[SmileDocHill]

You don't explain it to them. Real friends try to understand and accept their friends, even when they don't agree with them. People around you who belittle you for things you feel deeply about that do no harm to yourself or others are not people who are being friends. Many people figure this (how to be a good friend and how to choose friends) out in high school or college, many do not.

A real friend is someone who I can tell anything even if I don't always, and who will want the best for me even if it is not for them. They may call me on it if I am being truly stupid about something, but in the end they will support me. That is what I give to my friends and that is what I demand from them. Anyone else is an acquaintance and I have no problem cutting them from my life if they behave poorly.

Couldn't have been said better.

 

[churchmouse]

Um, okay. My post was in response to the op. I never said it was for the op's eyes only, so no reason to send a pm. I have no problem with a response from anyone and have no problem with pudly's response at all, I was just pointing out that the op did seem to not like that. Not sure what you mean by 'just read it"

Sorry if I came off short, no offense to pudly, yourself or anyone else was intended.

I will now go and say 10 hail John Moses Browning and take two minutes to reflect on my comments.

Throw in a good word with john for us as well.

No snark intended on my part at all.
Sometimes I get some rough e-mails about responses in the threads. So now I just mention this out in the open.
The just read it part was in response to your comment that it was meant for the OP.
If it gets typed in the open someone will respond....thats all.
Enjoy your Sunday.....

 

[OakRiver]

If you are the butt of their jokes at this point I think it's safe to say that they have made their minds up. If however they ever bring it up in a serious manner (e.g. they were snowed in for a few days) then you can use that as potential way to explain why you do what you do. Sadly some people have to experience things for themselves before they realize how serious things are - the good ol' "It'll never happen to me" mindset.

If they ever complain about how crowded the stores are, and how little there is left, before big events like the Superbowl you might want to ask them to imagine that with a healthy side of panic.

 

[rhino]

When a problem arises and they are in need of supplies, the humor train will return to its point of origin. Shouldn't be too tough of a problem for people with doctorates to solve, though.

 

[caverjamie]

How about sending them to ready.gov? They've got publications, videos, preparedness tips, etc on there. You could pick some things out to forward to them. I saw a commercial on tv that looked like it could have been made by a dedicated INGO prepper, a montage of tornadoes, floods, etc with ominous music playing and a warning to be prepared. At the end it showed a link to that site. The sort of people that laugh at preppers probably trust the government to protect them in the event of a disaster or emergency. So if you can show them something where the government is warning them to prepare, they might take it more seriously...

 

[ghunter]

I just mention a 3 day plan and talk about ice storms, thunder storms that knock the power out for a while, etc. That's how I got hooked on prepping: We prepped for a 3 day problem, and then decided to go for three weeks and so on. Ready.gov is a decent site to show noobs how to get started.

 

[JeremiahJohnson]

I've had to use mine.

More than once.

Case closed.

 

[OutdoorDad]

I've had to use mine.

More than once.

Case closed.

That was before you inherited the 50 calibre Hawken from Hatchet Jack, right?

 

[Alpo]

I lived outside of Denver for a couple of decades. I can't remember ever going into the mountains without a 4 wd, chains, shovel, candles, firestarter, blankets, first aid kit, high energy food packets of some sort and water. That's if it was a casual trip on the highway. In addition, I had a winch installed and carried a farm jack for off-road trips. If this friend has spent any time at all in Denver, he should know better.

For the NYC dude, just get him a cannibal's cook book. He should be set.

 

[JollyMon]

Being prepared shouldnt bring on ridicule. They just need to experience an event where they have to be self sufficient for more then a few days before they might understand why people have some preps. For me I dont consider myself a serious prepper. I dont stock pile massive amounts of food and water, but I do usually have enough on hand that would allow me to get through a couple weeks. Ever since I got my costco membership, I just buy all my can goods and non perishables in bulk and that has allowed me to have a lot of food storage and usually in stuff that I would eat.

The only reason I started doing that was a few years ago, my inlaws in floyds knobs, had an ice storm that knocked out their power for 9 days. It was at that point when I looked at what I had and realized that "yea I needed to have a few more things on hand".

 

[Zoub]

When a problem arises and they are in need of supplies, the humor train will return to its point of origin. Shouldn't be too tough of a problem for people with doctorates to solve, though.

He who laughs last laughs loudest........Mother Rucker!!!!!

OR it could go the other way.

Preps? We don't need no stinkin' preps! We got your stuff Mother Rucker!!!!!


As for Es-playnen' it to others try this. Put on a ski mask, grab a big pitch fork and a brick. Go to their house and toss the brick through the largest window. Then jump through it with your ski mask on, screaming "I am Mad Max and I am hungry you Mother Ruckers" while you chase them with the pitch fork.

When it's over sit down and have a nice recap with them. If they had preps, chances are they would of also had a gun. Since they don't prep, you knew they were unarmed. Prepping, it's what you do when you don't want to be an appetizer for Max. Don't be the appetizer.

I think this hands approach will work better when it comes to adult learning.