On the way back to the house, I finally had a bit of time to myself to think. So much had happened in just three days, and by the looks of it, it was going to get a lot busier. But if I was being honest with myself, that’s not what I cared about. Even now as I passed houses and broken down vehicles, people just milled about. Most people were struggling to get even small things accomplished. Whether it be working to fix or strengthen their houses, burning trash or attempting to figure out what’s wrong with their vehicles.
A vast majority of people were wandering around trying to scavenge whatever they could find. I hadn’t tried to get into any stores in town but I was positive most shelves would be bare by now. I was worried about what might start happening today or tomorrow. According to everything I read in the past about theoretical apocalyptic situations, it was estimated that the average family has about three days' worth of food in their fridges. Maybe a couple of days more in their freezers if they don’t continuously open the freezer door.
After their food runs out, and the stores are bare, things will get even more dire. Neighbors who see you have more than they do will ask you for things. Eventually, they’ll come begging for it. Finally, when desperation sets in, they will take it from you. This was the mindset I kept at the forefront of my thinking process. I needed to protect my family by any means necessary, and I needed to do it in a way that would make them thrive.
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I wanted to take that one step further though. The first goal of course, was to establish a place the family could live in safety. If the location wasn’t safe, everything else would always be in jeopardy. Next I needed to set up sustainable food sources, both fruits and vegetables as well as livestock. Once that was complete, I needed to find a way to make the family something akin to financially stable. With the banking system destroyed and paper money defunct, I wasn't sure what currency system would be used, if any.
What I did know was that, during the Great Depression between 1929 and 1939, there were a number of families that survived the depression with vast wealth. These families raised livestock and large crops. People would travel for miles with bags and suitcases of gems and jewelry, and even precious family heirlooms to trade for meats and vegetables. When the depression ended and the value of these items increased, many sold everything, obtaining vast fortunes.
This is what I envisioned for the family, and I guess for the small group of people I would need to accomplish it. Anyone else that wanted what our people had would have to pay for it, in valuables or work. An honest day's wage for an honest day's labor. But first, I wanted to get my own family to that point. Despite Johnny’s constant nay-saying, he was right about one thing: we lacked firepower. Which means we would need to take the PD. As I pulled the truck into the garage at the house, I shifted my focus to the mission ahead.