when did you realize you weren't a sheep?

Ok so we all have those moments of clarity, when the sky opens up and the big cosmic baseball comes out of the sky and promptly beans us on the noggins. At that time we usually have a awakening that shapes our lives. So my question is two fold.
1. When did you realize you weren't a sheep? that is when you realized that you weren't going to go with the flow nor be taken advantage of no matter what? 2. When was it you really thought of yourself as a "survivalist"? '

For some it will be one question for me it is definately two seperate and distinct questions.
I realized that I wasn't going to be a sheep when I was in the 5th grade. I had been out playing with my friends since it was summer and we were having a blast. My parents pulled out of the drive and said they had somewhere to go and would be back in an hour or two. About an hour later there came along a HUGE man that was stumbling around and talking absolute gibberish. He walked into a neighbors house and started asking about who was in his house etc. The man was way beyond the twilight zone. He walked out and went to the next house.
Now all of us kids quit playing since parents started calling kids in left and right with this yahoo walking around. One of the parents called his son in and the son mentioned that I was home alone. He looked at me and said " you got your shotgun right?" When I replied yes he said go home lock the doors and load your shotgun with a slug and then hi brass 4's. When I mentioned I didn't have slugs he walked inside grabbed his shotgun racked one out and gave it to me.
I got home loaded the single shot with the slug, locked the doors and realized that I would not have an issue killing this man if he came thru the door. Thats when I realized I wasn't a sheep. I also still have that slug round.

2. I became self reliant the first day my car broke down and I actually had the tools, the water, and the duct tape to get it home. I was 15 and had been way out in the middle of nowhere visiting a friend. No cell phones so the option was walk back and try to get help or fix it and limp it in. I fixed it got it home and felt the pride of knowing that I was in charge of my destiny rather than circumstances being in charge. That was the day I started making a "break down bag". I still have a breakdown bag but it also is my bob too.

Well those are my experiences. Look forward to hearing yours.
Take care Be safe Poacher.

 

I was a fad follower when younger.

I would definitely call my younger self (20 yrs ago) a sheep on social or political issues, but I've never been such when it came to defense of self, family, and home. I always stood up and fought any percieved encroachment on my rights often to my own detriment when the offending kid was twice my age and size. But my dad always told me, and I quote "If you ever back down from a fight, I'll kick your ass when you get home". And since my dad was tougher than any kid I might fight, it was on. I know my dad was a little rough on the parenting skills, but hey, I survived.

Even as young as 4th grade, he had taught me where his loaded 38 was kept and how to use it. My instructions were if a stranger came into the house uninvited, shoot them in the chest twice and then ask them who they are. Luckily, that's never happened.

 

I kept trying to count myself, but I could never fall asleep.




I'm with Tracy on this one. I've never made much effort to fit in.

But more importantly, I've never been comfortable with anyone doing anything for me. I always end up seeing it as some kind of failure when I don't do something myself. I built my van, I built my bike, my gun, my shop, my CNC milling machine... I'm even working through paramedic classes, so I can put people back together, too. (caution: no user serviceable parts inside)

Different people have different roles in society. Most are here for today. But a certain number of us aren't. For as long as I can remember, I've known that my main purpose in life is to help rebuild society, if something big happens. Not politically, or economically, or socially. I'm sure there are others for that. My role is rebuilding the actual physical things that we all use. So instead of sitting in school, learning how to do one thing well enough to get rich, I've spent my time trying to learn how to do EVERYTHING well enough to get by.

Will something big happen? I THINK so. And for about a year and a half now, I've been able to literally feel it coming. Something in the back of my head is constantly screaming, "4-6 years, no more, no less." But I guess everyone who's born into this role must think it's coming. It's probably a pre-requisite for the job.

So, to answer the question, there was no moment. It's just who I am. It's my role in the world.

 

I have never had that realization. I never thought of myself as belonging to any group or, "flock" if you would. When John Kennedy was assassinated, I remember wondering if the bomb would look like a second sun and wondering how cool was that?

 

My parents were never "sheeple" when I was a kiddo... so that definately helped. I've also never been a "FOLLOWER" and have always made my own path!

Wildernessgal


P.S.- Surviving a horrific NATURAL DISASTER was beyond helpful in reinforcing my thoughts...

 

I think I grew up in an environment where I never could be a sheep. I grew up on a dairy farm in WI, never had a lot of money and got by as best we could. My Mom and Dad both grew up in the depression years and my Dad served in WW2 and Mom lived without the war as well. So they knew how to get by with less, and we did OK [all 9 of my brothers and sisters]. We had ice storms where we had no power...and got by!
We had harvest's that came in bad and got by... I learned early on that politicians were not to be trusted, a lesson from both my democrat Dad and republican Mom.
I think when I personally woke up was the late 70's to around '82. In WI the possie comatatus was big and had some direction in my politics of lesser government.
Jimmie Carter was President, 44 hostages were in Iran. The US was in the dumper as far as the world was concerned. 'Nuff said.
My socialist Social Studies HS teacher was always ramming down his beliefs...and I was always argueing with him, and I never backed down.
I was always a bit of a survivalist, took to preps at a young age and read and re-read Mel Tappans book Survival Guns, I would get 'Survive' and 'Pistolero' magazine every time I could.
Ronald Regan became President, I joined the Army in '84 and spent 13 years as an 11b.
Even now I still teach my kid's and soon will the grandkids the value in being self supportive and independant. I 'converted' my wife form a Klinton voting 'soccor mom' to being a good independant thinker, and to agreeing to [but not knowing the extent] of some of my prep's.
I'll never be one of the sheep...

 

I never fit in and I never stuck out. I just made my own road and never cared what anyone thought about me, good ,bad or otherwise.

only been prepping for about 2 years now. Katrina woke me up to the fact that I was not prepared to take care of my family in an emergency. It really scared the you know what out of me. i never relied on anyone to take care of my family , least of all the government, and never want to.
So I started prepping.

Hi my name is Bubbajoe and I refuse to be a SHEEP

 

I was never a sheep, always been my own 'dog'. Like many here, always looked for the truth of things, not take what others said at face value.
Always walked my own road - never a 'fashion plate', never a crowd follower. Got me into trouble sometimes, helped me avoid trouble at other times.
I'm an easy-going sort, but will not tolerate the BS most of the general public does.

 

Back about 1960, but didn't call it that until about 1970 something. Up until then it was just getting by the best we knew how on what my parents and grandparents had taught me about homesteading on a shoestring budget. Dad died when I was 10, by age 14 I was doing a mans job around the house, cutting fire wood, doing home repairs, working the garden, cutting grass, whatever needed the work of a strong back. About 1975 I begin to call my self a survivalist without the militia handle, more like what had always been considered self-reliant lifestyle.

Only time I had to conform to the crowd was during my hitch in the Navy, but even that taught me I had to depend on myself, if I was going to make it.

 

My life (and certainly childhood!) would've been a lot easier if I had been a sheep! But, sadly for my mother - who puts great stock in things being just so, I never quite conformed to any standard. Just nodded and smiled politely then went about my own business.

I was merely a lot quieter about not baa-ing when younger .

Given the choice to be predator or prey - I chose survivor.

 

I've always questioned things and have always been into the outdoors, and what I call 'hillbilly ingenuity' or kind like 'McGiverism' or just figureing out how to use whatever 'junk' is aailable to build what I need at the time to solve a problem. I have always enjoyed figureing out how to do things for my self and being somewhat less than popular growing up I learned early to depend on myself and have had it heavily reinforced many times in my life. I have had a lot of times way below just being broke and had to get through. It dont take to many times of figureing you are doing good if you eat more than a couple times a week or wondering where you will sleep for the night to figure out that you dont want to have to deal with that. So not long after being on my own I figured out the value of stocking the pantry well whenever I could, even if it was just cnned veggies and such it would fill the belley (have eaten for a couple weeks off some flour, sugar, bakeing powder and water and for the first batch an egg to make a kind of cake so most anything eatible works for me). I remember before Y2K we were living in the city and didnt the closest we could afford to preping (whil still eating and haveing a roof and utilities) was a brick of .22s and 2 boxes of shells for the rifle and filling a few jugs with water. I was planning as best I could how to loot the hardware store for a few supplies and BO if the SHTF. We finaly got a chance to get 13 acres in the country and a trailer to put on it but there was no well or water hook up and we still didnt have money beyond what we had to spend for mortgage and basics, so built is up and hobbled it together as we could. I had grown up hunting and cleaning small game and took the deer to the butcher to be cut up and dad paid for it untill I had a job and my own money then he told me I got to pay for it. When I found out it was going to cost most of what I made in a week at the time I decided we had knives and a saw so took it back to camp and while it wasnt pretty, cut it up to pieces that would fit in a pot and figured out some of the steaks. As time went by and did more of them I got better at it and by the time we had the farm had gotten to where could figure out most of the cuts. I went to a livestock auction and found out how cheap meat was if you bought it still moveing and cut it up yourself so started doing that.

Basicly the short anwser is never really was a sheep or a part of the crowd and have always been a bit of what many would consider a survivalist and have just progresed more and more in that direction.

 

I don't think that I ever was a sheeple. I started to read Survival Guide (thats what it was called before it went to American Survival Guide) when I was in 9th or 10th grade I'll be 40 here in a couple of weeks, so it's been a while. I hid my first survival gear near the same time. I went into the Navy to get medical and combat experance, because I thought it would be good to have.

OGM

 

I remember, most of my life...disagreeing with the popular opinions, and even the popular kids way back in school....and questioning, questioning, questioning.....That was Social Suicide back in High School...but I got thru it...Most folks don't ostracize cheerleaders... ;-)

I read at an early age..and my love of the written word still gets me through a lot of things....It Teaches me...Nourishes me..Stimulates my mind, and makes me think....and I can't even begin to imagine those that don't read for pleasure ; or to keep learning, all their life long...
I was reading Homer when I was 10 and 11....

I grew up in interesting times, and was constantly bombarded with new things...new ideas....new perspectives ...on just about everything....

I'm not sure if this is the exact day I knew I wasn't one...But as E.L. pointed out....it's the day I realized others were......

I lived in a communal living house by the time I was 19...We grew our own vegetables...made our own sauces, jellies, bread, etc.....My son still teases me that it's a wonder he's not orange, with all the Carrot Juice he drank back then..... lol!

and E.L.'s response?

 

I remember, most of my life...disagreeing with the popular opinions, and even the popular kids way back in school....and questioning, questioning, questioning.....That was Social Suicide back in High School...but I got thru it...Most folks don't ostracize cheerleaders... ;-)

I read at an early age..and my love of the written word still gets me through a lot of things....It Teaches me...Nourishes me..Stimulates my mind, and makes me think....and I can't even begin to imagine those that don't read for pleasure ; or to keep learning, all their life long...
I was reading Homer when I was 10 and 11....

I grew up in interesting times, and was constantly bombarded with new things...new ideas....new perspectives ...on just about everything....

I'm not sure if this is the exact day I knew I wasn't one...But as E.L. pointed out....it's the day I realized others were......

I lived in a communal living house by the time I was 19...We grew our own vegetables...made our own sauces, jellies, bread, etc.....My son still teases me that it's a wonder he's not orange, with all the Carrot Juice he drank back then..... lol!

and E.L.'s response?

 

I was in school the day Bobby Kennedy was shot - they rolled a TV into the room, and we watched the reports. All the black kids were crying and bawling.
We white kids couldn't, for the life of us, understand what all the hoopla was about . . .

I also learned early on in the military - any rule can be 'bent', if not even broken, as long as you used some engenuity and creativity. I pushed the limits many times. Sometimes I found a 'rule' wasn't set in stone - IF you had "The Book" to back you up. Got me out of wearing the silly Cracker Jack suit once for inspection. A lowly E-3, I dressed like the Chiefs and Officers - directly violating my E5's orders - got an 'Outstanding' from the unit commander - the E5 got gigged for his mustache - "BWAHAHAHAHA!"
I had the POD copy that listed my uniform as the 'alternate' for the event.

Always cover yourself! But never follow the SHEEP.

I came to 'survivalism' fairly late, but have always been an individualist and as independant as possible. Learned the tricks of cheap living early on.

 

The way my Parents raised me never allowed for the possibility of being a Sheep. I was raised to cherish this country not just has an adopted homeland but as my homeland. I joined the military because I couldn't imagine not. Throughout my life I been taught to defend what is mine and to be as self reliant as possible.

 

Now I have met some real bad-ass sheep but they were still sheep. They still followed the leader and are very easily herded into the military fighting wars about oil and believing it was about freedom, fighting wars about terrorism and believing the Patriot act is patriotic and worth giving their lives for. And those same damned sheep will kill us when when they are told that because we disagree with the herder that we are a threat to the flock; domestic terrorists. Sheep now have tremendous fire-support.

 

This is true but there are some of us thet have been there done that but arn't sheep. If they come to do harm to me and mine they will be playing on my home field. That won't be good for anyone but me.

OGM