Learning New Skills

Have you thought about what skills you possess?  Or how important they may become for you and your loved ones in the future? This would be a good time to assess your skills and also those you may be lacking.
Make a list of your talents and your family's (groups) skills as well. What all can you do? Are there things that are quite obvious that you will need to know if SHTF?  There have been many articles written on this subject and for a good reason. 


We will all need to know how to get along if things suddenly "aren't the way they used to be".  This does not necessarily mean that we are going to find ourselves in a post- apocalyptic situation, although it could happen.  So wouldn’t it be a good idea to do an inventory?


 Personally I would like to have the skills necessary to be able to take care of as much as possible without "outside" help. Our goal is to one day be able to live as self- sufficiently as possible. To grow our own foods and raise some small livestock. I have been thinking about this more and more lately.  Especially once we acquire that little piece of land and are living in a "smaller" world of our own design.   It also makes more sense to know this stuff if for no other reason than to be able to do it ourselves. The trading and bartering of skills will most likely be the new way to do business.  Therefore it makes sense that the more you know the "richer" you are.


At first I couldn't think of many things I felt I knew how to do. I think there are alot of us that feel like that. And then I realized that I DO know how to do a few things.  Like how to preserve foods by canning and dehydrating and gardening.
 Sometimes we “know” things that we don’t even think about.  They have become so much a part of us that they become second nature.  Other things we have to think about. For instance, I am currently trying to learn to knit.  This would be a wonderful skill to have "at the ready".  I would like to learn to repair and to make clothing, and especially things like socks and sweaters.
 
 I am lucky that my husband is one of those guys who can do a myriad of things. A true jack-of-all-trades.  And yet there are skills that he would like to acquire and those he would like to become more proficient at.
 For instance, he has the basic “book knowledge” about solar power.  He's read several books on the subject.  And yet he wants some hands on experience with it.  Because you can have all the “book” knowledge in the world, but until you can apply it with your own hands it isn't going to be of much use to you. Practice makes perfect.


Take gardening for instance, just because you have the seeds to plant a garden, and just because you know that you will need to plant the seeds it does not guarantee that they will grow.  You need to practice your skills until you are comfortable with the process.  Seeds don’t guarantee success.  Putting your knowledge to use will give you the added practice necessary to succeed. Don't wait until you are up against a wall to put your knowledge into practice. 


  ~ What better time is there than right now to learn something new?~