I'm a great grandfather, and while I can't do some of the things I once could, I remember more primitive technologies as well as have farmed, fished, hunted for food and money. In addition to that, however, comes the knowledge I have acquired from the variety of jobs I have worked and an education which included geology, chemistry, and physics, all of which have practical applications. I don't see junk, I see resources, and we'll mine landfills some day.
Maybe my survival isn't about me, but passing on what knowledge I can to those more fit to utilize it.
We didn't have computers once, at least not on the scale of today, we used radio as a primary means of communication--crystal recievers which did not require power--only the transmitter did. We managed to add, subtract, multiply, and divide just fine, and Newton's Calculus was done without a calculator.
Now, a 1940s technology level might not appeal to you, but it could be salvaged by a few skilled people in short order. There will be plenty of scrap metal and materials to work with, and such knowledge as is preserved to use as a guide.
Food: Large scale agriculture could be carried out anywhere people are willing and have access to oil wells. Diesel fuel is a distillate: the simplest fraction to extract from crude oil. Diesel vehicles, tractors, heavy equipment, could all be utilized if someone manages to put together even the most rudimentary stills to make diesel fuel, lighter fractions could be used for cooking fuel, and an even better chemist could be making other products as well.
Steam power can be used to generate enough electricity to get things rolling (it's what we use now, on a larger scale),
The knowledge is there, for those willing to use it and who have the resources at hand, and the trick is to pass it on.
I do not claim to know God's purpose for me in this life, not in its entirety, but I have noticed that almost every experience I have had has somehow prepared me for something else which happened later on in life.
Now, maybe I'll just have a library of old manuals which someone will use to build a fire and keep warm. Maybe I'll be called upon to help build the things which enable others to not just survive, but build anew, maybe not.
However, since God has kept me around this long, I reckon He has a reason.
In the meantime, though, It is my duty to those who depend on me to do what I can to ensure their chances are the best for recovering the best civilization they can and defending it as well.
That will include philosophical and even religious teaching as well, and that is something we should be passing on to our youth anyway. Had more of that been done by the right people, maybe we wouldn't have the mess we do today.
So just a thought, maybe surviving TOETWAWKI isn't just about us, as individuals, but what we can do for the future of our families, and eventually, the human race.
In 'primitive' cultures, the elders teach and raise the young while the younger adults tend the herds, hunt, and do the day-to-day work of keeping the cook fires lit and the village/camp safe. The lines of specialization might be a little different, but they still exist.
Survive, if for no other reason than to plant the vision of flying cars in a child's mind. Then build anew, and better.
You will have seen what did not work, and will be able to help avoid that again.
Bumping your post Joe; good one.
Amen. It is about the future generation always! Whether it is the end of the world as we know it or not.
For example, This week I showed my son basic blacksmithing. We used simple bellows, dug a small hole with a pipe running in the side and a bunch of wood that cooked down to basic charcoal for a hot fire. We got the railroad spike cherry red and pounded away for a while :) It will eventually be a knife I hope ha ha. Also used a couple of large nails to demonstrate on a smaller scale how to make a hook, a spear point etc and how bendable the nail was when hot.
Camping a few weeks ago we got our first fire going with no matches...woohoo :) Caught 3 sun fish (horrible day fishing) the longest of which was about 3 inches...and had them for lunch...not much meat, but the concept was there... protein from where you can get it.
We rebuilt a two stroke dirt bike. We cook in the kitchen together. Work with hand tools for wood working and then get out the skilsaw or drill after the concept of the basics is driven home. Go to the gun range regularly. etc etc.
That is great that you show them grand kids and great grandkids how to do things with the simple basics.
Couple of thoughts along those lines: If you are lucky you might find there is a working old fashioned steam engine (lumber mill, boat, train or whatever) nearby to show how much work can be done with steam. Vivid memories of my first exposure to that environment. Point out little things in old TV shows like Little House on the Prairie (how the mill worked). I also bought DVDs of The Waltons and am getting the MacGyver series next. Although not always technically accurate, the idea is to encourage thinking and expose them to something other than the crap TV series of today. There are some fun Man vs Wild type shows that provide a basis for experimenting and discussion as well.
Pressing onward and upward!