Altered Behaviors - Life after COVID-19

[bowhunter1023]

As someone who learns best from his mistakes, there's a lot to be gleaned from this experience. Rather than dwell on the gloom and doom that's dominating the other thread on this matter, and although this will align somewhat with the Future Outcomes thread, I've been giving a lot of thought to how I will modify my personal, professional, and head of household behaviors in response to this epidemic. A few things have emerged early on and I expect more to reveal themselves as this entire situation plays out. My hope is that this thread will provide ideas and solutions for folks that will need to make adjustments in their life to either recover from this or prepare for the next SHTF moment. So without further ado, the first 3 things of note for me...

1. Like most men, I'm fairly "disgusting". I grew up outside and spent a ton of time in lockerrooms playing organized sports. I had a "run-in" with a local in Monroe County when I was a new dad that turned me into a fairly "germaphobic" dad. However, this scare has given me an OCD-level awareness about touching my face. Especially my beard. It's also made me ultra-aware of how often I'm touching stuff that other people touch. So even though I'm a fairly hygienic and clean individual, I'm "gross" by global pandemic standards. It's been 3 weeks since I began changing my habits, which means I'm to the point of actually altering my SOPs when it comes to hygiene. I have no doubt I'll be uber-conscious of my cleanliness henceforth; epidemic or not.
2. Professionally, this will have a tremendous effect on me from an outside influence standpoint. What it will do in regards to my behavior is further reinforce the primary lesson from my layoff in 2015: never stop learning. It also drives home once again my dad's main teaching growing up: do your best. If you're doing your best and continually learning, I believe you can recover from even the worst of professional circumstances - losing your job/career.
3. I pride myself on being prepared to provide for my family in an emergency/SHTF moment. I was prepared for this, kinda. I didn't "do my best" and now consider where I was on Monday last week as the new baseline. From food, to household provisions, to surplus items to continue operations of a "mini-farm", to financial resources, I need to raise the bar. The status quo was "acceptable", but certainly not "the best". Lesson learned.

I have other thoughts and more will emerge as this conversation evolves. Let me reiterate that this thread is intended to serve as a resource for growth as we look to emerge from these challenging times stronger than we entered them. Let's keep it positive and please, if you have any virtual resources you think are applicable here, share those with the group.

 

[Wildlife]

Interesting thread and I do appreciate this opportunity to share what's rumbling through my mind currently.

To be very honest, I feel like I should’ve forced my children to learn more of the essentials of being self-independent regarding life survival when they were teenagers. I find myself second guessing currently whether or not I did enough in that department.

Due to the rapid growth/change in technology over the past decades, which I absolutely appreciate when it’s used as a important resource, tool and/or to better oneself towards learning, overcoming most any kind of problem and so on, I believe that my children took much of it for granted, more for entertainment, social connecting and so on.

The culture of my children’s generation is blinded in what’s truly facing them today in my opinion, hoping that my children now realize that my 'over the years dinner time lectures' wasn’t a waste of breath for me. Hoping that much of those past conversations with them come to mind as they face the current crisis.

Now, I’m sure they are feeling concerned at least, perhaps even increased amount of fear because of the unknowns, especially towards how life may impact them going forward. Their close circle of friends may become smaller?

Anyhow, that’s where I’m having the most difficulty currently, hoping that I did enough as a father in teaching and/or communicating enough to my own children in how to handle things when SHTF, perhaps.

That's a tough pill for me to swallow right now...

 

[giles]

All that’s behind you Denny, what’s next? That’s the question here.

Personally for myself. I look forward to being part of the rebuild after it all. Gotta wait and see what the damage is first.

 

[Wildlife]

All that’s behind you Denny, what’s next? That’s the question here.

Personally for myself. I look forward to being part of the rebuild after it all. Gotta wait and see what the damage is first.

My bad.

I really don't expect to change any of my behaviors then. If anything, I'll put aside even more time in the future to spend with family & friends.

 

[Tipmoose]

I dont expect I will change many/any of my behaviors. The only thing I will do is try to buy some property out in the country so I can avoid people in general and be able to live my normal life when something like this happens again. And, since we have established a huge fckin precedent, it WILL happen again.

 

["J"]

I was always (especially since I’ve retired) a basic necessities hoarder too a point. Wife always shook her head when I went shopping and came home with two of most everything when we already had a spare or two.... She’s not shaking her head anymore about that kind of stuff at least....

 

[Ohiosam]

There’s an old saying about the military-they are always preparing for the last war. Mostly likely the next emergency will be very different than this one. So don’t get tunnel vision.

 

[giles]

WAKE UP AMERICA!

 

[Jamie]

while this really doesn't change a thing for me aside from further raising concerns for my aging parents, I think it's important to realize that we simply do not live in a society, in a world, where the masses are willing to be, or even interested in being, self-sufficient. I'm not sure it's even possible for that to work if every single person really tried to be able to survive in times of crisis. I'm sure this was a wake up call for some people, but for far too many that won't be touched in any meaningful way by this pandemic, a year from now they will have returned to their routines and forgotten all about what is going on right now. modern human nature in action.

 

[cspot]

I think most of us would do ok to be able to survive if the situation warranted it. I will likely change and maybe stockpile some more supplies than what I have, but I think most of us could be pretty resourceful if it got that need. ONe thing I may look into is canning more food instead of freezing. The downside to canning is that it takes time vs freezing is easy and quick.

 

[Geezer II]

There’s an old saying about the military-they are always preparing for the last war. Mostly likely the next emergency will be very different than this one. So don’t get tunnel vision.

Well America doesn't fight wars with the idea of winning since WII - now its to support the military industrial complex - hell we can keep wars go n for 19+ years - now if you drag out a pandemic by not utilize all you resources including laws - create competition for medical supplies - you can feed venture capalists buddies big bucks

 

[Jamie]

well worth the time spent canning if you're freezer stops working.

 

[Wildlife]

well worth the time spent canning if you're freezer stops working.

Wife & I have been canning over the last week each night, teaming up together trying to get most of our food out of the freezer and into jars even though I have a large amount of fuel & a big generator.

Your sharing on this topic proved helpful very much, so thank you!

 

[cspot]

well worth the time spent canning if you're freezer stops working.

I agree, but with a busy job, 3 teenagers, and a wife I never seem to have the time.

 

[Mike]

I've been set up for some time. I wall definitely can more meat and surplus garden produce.

 

[Bowkills]

I'll buy more guns just to have more guns because it's a great excuse to buy more guns and buy my wife a gun. Im going to save my govt stimulus money to pay cash for a house build. get back to gardening since I've been lazy the last few years.

 

[Buckmaster]

Invest my $3.4k stimulus check so this time year it’s worth $4.4k. Got college on the horizon.

 

[Strizzi]

Not much will change for me as far as hygiene I’m a fairly clean person and try to keep our home cleaned daily, it’s almost therapeutic to clean for me since my fiancée works nights after she leaves I like to clean up and listen to podcasts before bed. I’ve always sanitized my work office since I share an office with another guy that works 2nd shift. I always been good about washing my hands for the most part but maybe this will help add an extra wash or two in the routine.

We are calling our family tonight to postpone our wedding. This will be the biggest change for us and is going to be a major headache. Our date was set for June 13th and I personally believe the world will be back to normal by then but she thinks otherwise. She’s an ICU nurse so she gets to see The effects of this virus first hand so maybe she is right, but I’ll never admit it haha. Luckily there’s some openings at the hall for August but we still have to contact the church, photographer, DJ, limo, rehearsal dinner reservations, and I’m sure there’s more. The one positive is it gives us a couple more months to save but I was definitely looking forward to being done with all of this and starting our life.

A few take aways may been a larger stock of food and ammo. I’ve always kept enough meat to last us at least a month outside of my wild game meat however we are slightly limited in space since we bought our condo. I’ll definitely add some long term food stock to the mix however. Ammo is something I’ve always felt I could never have enough and Will always feel that way so I’ll probably bump up the stockpile. Maybe add some more firearms as well. I have enough pistols that cover my needs but might like to add some more long guns, maybe get another AR for fun, aanother .22, self defense shotgun, there’s no such thing as too many guns. I had plans to buy a new bow this summer but that might get postponed as well I’m not sure yet.

I’m lucky enough to be still working and receiving full wages but I’ll definitely be a little more frugal until things settle down. Maybe buy stock in toilet paper next time there’s a virus haha.

I hope everyone is well and staying healthy.

 

[Bowkills]

years of being covered in dirt tar grime using ports jobs daily, The hand washing thing will never click for me. I've tried to remember to wash my hands daily when I get home from work not doing that great though...

 

[Sgt Fury]

Is anyone aware of any good books on the subject of being prepared for a collapse of society...or survival books? I think it would be a great read and probably cover things that most people never thought of...until they needed it.