[Nyerges is the author of 10 books, including “How to
Survive Anywhere” and the newly-released all color “Guide to Wild Foods and
Useful Plants.” He has led outdoor field trips since 1974, and does a weekly
radio show. He can be reached at Box 41834, Los Angeles, CA 90041, or www.ChristopherNyerges.com.]
All
of us who have devoted our lives to studying and applying skills of survival
are well aware of the periodic events which beset us all: wars, droughts, floods, hurricanes,
earthquakes, economic collapses, etc.
Some are “acts of God,” and many are acts of man.
The
practical skills of survival are direly needed by all of us. And yet, the media
continues to serve up “reality” shows that provide little or no practical
skills in our day to day living.
Shows
like Survivor, Man vs. Wild, Survivorman, and their offspring can be amusing,
but are designed more for entertainment value rather than providing anything of
real value. These shows which often
depict buff individuals in a wilderness
setting often showcase the worst of human nature in order to keep us glued to
our seats.
Though
it amusing, and often nauseating, to see hungry men and women eating snakes,
rats, and grubs, there seems to be little relevance to the millions of modern
urban dwellers.
What
then is real survival all about?
Our
food-related survival skills necessitate our knowledge of urban food
production, such as growing fruit trees, raising vegetables in limited space,
raising chickens, making compost.
We
need to educate ourselves to the what foods have great nutritional value, and
which do not. If we cannot grow at
least some of our own food, we should support those farmers at local farmers
markets who are providing local quality food.
Real
survival in the modern world includes practical knowledge of economics. How can you get more for less money by
spending less and earning more. You can begin by separating need from want, and
then you should re-evaluate everything in your life that is touched by money.
Ask yourself, “How can I obtain this thing, or service, or skill, without
money?” Is it possible to trade or
barter?
And
then there is the ages-old good advice for how to soundly deal with material
things: why buy new if used will
do? Don’t discard if it can be made
into something else, etc.
Economic
collapse of a country’s currency has happened many times, usually due to the
over-extension of the leaders who controlled the purse strings, and who
considered themselves more deserving than the general populace. A collapse of a country’s currency forces
the people to deal with stark, basic, everyday needs and concerns in a harsh
manner until something new is developed.
While
it is true that learning how to trap and eat a rat means you don’t have to
worry about food from the store in the event of an economic collapse, it is far
better to involve yourself in the practical and philosophical underpinnings of
the society so that such a collapse doesn’t happen in the first place.
As
our material abundance and technological advances continue, we become more and
more dependent upon things which we cannot control. We’re fast on the path to a “Blade Runner” or “THX1138” world.
If
you’re worried about our future, the answer does not lie with a loin-clothed
man with a spear, since a thriving meaningful culture requires vastly more than
that. Real survival must encompass a
working knowledge of politics, economics, ecology, health, and so much more.
Our
answers lie in making the time to educate ourselves to the things that really
matter in life. For that matter, in
today’s information-glutted world, it’s a real challenge to discern between
useful and useless information, between entertainment and education, between
that which leads us to freedom and that which merely titilates.
If
we desire to be a part of the solution to the ails of modern civilization, then
we must choose to not live our lives driven by fear and greed. Yes, real survival means that we must change
ourselves first.
Sometimes,
we have to realize that we’ve been hypnotized, and that we must fight our own
ignorances. Real survival means that we
must become like children again, and realize that there is no dishonor in going
back to Square One. By reassessing
everything that we think we know, and by asking questions anew, we may discover
a new found joy in our very existence.
The
pursuit of material survival is too often compassionless. We need compassion for each other if we want
to have a society that is worth living in.
William
Blake once summed up the essence of Real Survival when he stated, “I sought my soul, but my soul I could not
see. I sought my God, but my God eluded me. I sought my brother, and I found
all three.”
