It starts around the beginning of May: blog posts, newspaper articles, magazine features and emails that offer a "Summer Survival Guide" to parents seeking to entertain out-of-school children during the warmest months of the year. These guides may include lists of local pools and splash pads, ideas for summer crafts, and even some cost-savings tips for family vacations. Lighthearted in tone, they echo the sentiment of the season: carefree, relaxed, and full of fun. Summer is, after all, a time of few responsibilities and many opportunities.
And yet, it's difficult to ignore the cultural season of our times-- a season that portends the very opposite. Pro-abortion activists are promising a "summer of rage." Inflation is driving food and fuel prices through the roof. Weighty questions of gender, sexuality, and parental rights overshadow the future of public schooling. It sure doesn't feel like a carefree summer.
It feels like winter.
WORST CASE SCENARIO
Maybe I spent too much time around my little brother's Cub Scout troop, hearing the oft-repeated motto "Always Be Prepared." Or maybe it's because when 9/11 happened during my junior year of college, when all the adults in charge said to go about life as usual and didn't even cancel classes for a single day, my friends and I decided to go shop for some survival supplies anyway, just in case. Maybe it's because of my offbeat sense of humor, which led to owning postcards and a board game themed for the "Worst Case Scenario" survival series. But either way, I've always hoped that when a crisis came, I wouldn't be caught short-handed.
Well, the Crisis Era is here. But in the spirit of Douglas Adams's The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, "Don't Panic." Winter is a severe season, but it is survivable, and Chapter 11 of The Fourth Turning offers some good advice on making it through the worst of times. With each point from the 1997 book by William Strauss and Neil Howe, I'll offer some current resources you can use to make your own "survival kit."
TOOLS FOR YOUR KIT
Rectify: Return to the classic virtues.
Definition: "Build a reputation as a person of honor and integrity who values self-restraint, family commitments, cultural decency, and mutual trust" (p. 318).
Application: Integrity is difficult to fake. The Bible's holy scriptures are full of maxims on this principle, many of which are contained in the Book of Proverbs. If you're looking for a guide to becoming a person of classic virtues, there's none better, and a strong, Bible-based church is the best place to find a community of people who will support you in that journey. Culturally, there are similar tales and parables that are helpful in illustrating these ideals, especially to children. I recommend William J. Bennett's anthology The Book of Virtues, any good collection of Aesop's Fables, fairy tales, and classic works of literature such as Charlotte's Web or The Swiss Family Robinson.
Converge: Heed emerging community norms.
Definition: "Appearances will matter. Justice will be rough, because society will require more order but have fewer resources and less time to impose it" (p. 319).
Application: Cancel culture is real, and the rearing of its ugly head is one form of "social justice" that has quickly become a digital guillotine. Since research continues to emerge about the negative effects of social media, consider ditching it altogether, or strictly limiting your use of it. As the supercomputer in WarGames concluded, "The only winning move is not to play". When it comes to dealings IRL ("in real life"), good manners are another way to smooth the rough edges of a fraught culture. Simple politeness conveys love and respect, lowers perceived threat levels, and diffuses anger. Be kind and be humble; it really makes a difference.
Bond: Build personal relationships of all kinds.
Definition: "Direct personal linkages will be newly valued. Know the people who can help you" (p. 319).
Resources: In a recent article from City Journal, a survey of Americans concluded that a rise of general "faith in humanity" does not actually correlate to a trust in one's neighbors. Instead, those who are most active in their local community may not trust "humanity" in general, but have regular neighborhood interactions that "boost happiness and tend to reduce ideological extremism by focusing people’s attention on what is going on around them rather than on the abstract worries of the world." As I wrote in "Frayed: Tribalism, Twitter, and the End of Tolerance", it's the local tribe you can trust who will end up making the difference when resources are short.
Gather: Prepare yourself (and your children) for teamwork.
Definition: "Integrate your skills, works, and pastimes with those of others. [...] Where public schools work, you should educate [your children] there, so they can learn group skills among peers of diverse backgrounds and abilities" (p. 319).
Application: In "The Quest: Cultural Heroes from Crisis to Awakening," I discussed the rise in popularity of role-playing adventure games, which encourage groups of diverse abilities to work together in solving problems. While Strauss and Howe emphasize public school, the recent strains of COVID-closures combined with debates over school boards, curriculum and so-called "banned books" have made this a difficult and emotional choice for many parents, who have opted to homeschool instead. However, homeschooling need not be an isolating experience. Hobbies, community sports, religious groups, and scouting all offer opportunities for bonding and teamwork (these work for adults too!). Additionally, options such as pods, microschools, hybrids, and co-ops offer more communal/social opportunities for students.
Root: Look to your family for support.
Definition: "As other supports weaken, your household will function best if it is multigenerational, with young and old caring for each other's special needs" (p. 320).
Application: My blog "Escaping the Sandwich" details the pre-existing trend of Generation Xers caring for Boomer parents who "age in place" while raising their own children. The COVID lockdowns accentuated the same: many people felt safer with elders and children nearby to pool resources and abilities. Teamwork is a tool that can start at home: set good boundaries for living together, and let young children learn the value of chores early. For singles and DINKs, start building a community of friends, neighbors, and co-workers as quickly as possible; whatever it costs you in time and effort will pay off in the future.
Brace: Gird for the weakening or collapse of public support mechanisms.
Definition: "You should start at once to build your own financial security. [...] The best way to guarantee good health care in old age is to practice good health habits today" (p. 320).
Application: While it's a running joke among younger generations that Social Security may not exists in their "golden years," it's clear that our other government support systems are already under strain, from unemployment to healthcare. The single best thing you can do to ride out the storm is to GET OUT OF DEBT. Dave Ramsey and Clark Howard have plenty of solid information on budgeting and reducing debt; much of it can be found for free online or through books at your local library/eBay. Likewise, a frugal lifestyle can be a healthy one too. Cooking simple meals at home is far less expensive than most restaurant meals, and usually better for you too. It takes less time than you'd think to make a whole-grain spaghetti, some scrambled eggs and sausage, or a grilled piece of meat with some microwaved-steamed vegetables. Cut the carbs, take a walk. Small steps add up.
Hedge: Diversify everything you do.
Definition: "Enter the Crisis with a reliable cash flow, diversified savings, and some liquid assets" (p. 321).
Application: The Crisis is already here. So what happens if you don't have a good income, savings, and cash in the bank? Fix one at a time. Though the last twenty years have focused heavily on job training in technology, there are excellent, well-paying jobs to be found in the trades, for both men and women. As I wrote in "Schoolhouse Locked: Part One", vocational training is already becoming more widely available. Side hustles and house hacking (boarding) are other options to create income and reduce expenses. For those who are well-positioned to invest, Neil Howe offers his expertise at Hedgeye. Meanwhile, everyone can benefit from learning homesteading skills such as cooking, gardening, and simple home repairs. If nothing else, the knowledge that you are capable of caring for yourself and others increases your self-esteem and your value in a group-oriented society.
IN CASE OF EMERGENCY (OR LIFE AS USUAL)
A few years ago, I became interested in the idea of resilience. My research, and my own life's trials, have led me to conclude that resilience is the product of three things. The first is realism: resilient people and communities do not live in denial of the crisis that is coming or that surrounds them. They accept the facts and go from there. The second is indomitable spirit: those who can rebound have been through trials before. They accept challenges, not avoid them. The third is optimism: the resilient ones are those who believe that a better tomorrow is possible and work actively to achieve it.
The tips in this post can all help you be a more resilient person. But what about other people? Survival's not worth much if it's at the cost of everyone else. And that's why the Golden Rule applies, every day and especially in a crisis. If you're able to do something to help others who are hurting in this Crisis Era, do so. Be generous-- if you were on the receiving end, you'd both want and need someone to be generous to you. Be thankful-- if you were on the giving end, you'd like to know your generosity was appreciated. Generosity and thankfulness can each build trust-- something that's in short supply these days.
Be faithful. Have hope. Show love.
And most of all, don't give up.
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