The Replica Prop Forum

The Replica Prop Forum
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Sunday, February 10, 2008

This post Reminds me........

Please Go here and read this first it will explain a little bit of what I'm about to relate to you.




I'm an old Farm Boy, 6'3" 285 lbs, Ex-Army Reserve Medic, former Security Officer, former EMT-D and other things. While it's not PC, I'm what the MSM would call a "Survivalist". I call myself a Prudent Parent, who prepares for the unexpected. I don't believe in the overthrow of the government or expect the breakdown in social order and civilization. I DO know however, that natural disaters happen, terrorist attacks happen, financial collapses happen, the power goes out at odd times, people get injured when you least expect it and criminals have no respect for the law or the law-abiding. I have kids, therefore I have the means to protect them and the means to provide for them. I also prepare, extra food stored here there and everywhere. My family owns property about 140 miles away where we can go if another evacuation is called for a hurricane. We have food water and other supplies there, and multiple routes to get to it and multiple ways of gettting there. However one thing I have always tried to teach my kids, which is getting harder since my 2 oldest daughter are now teenagers is, that if I say "DO SOMETHING NOW" I mean right that second, not after you get off the phone, or shut off your computer, or after you change your clothes. I mean "RIGHT THEN, THAT VERY SECOND" The reason is, after 10 years of working security I have somewhat good "gut" instincts, I don't always have the time to explain why I want them to do something I want instant compliance. That compliance could mean the difference between life and death, or the difference between getting scared or gettting hurt. But they being female teenagers and very much like thier mother at least in this regard will always question why I want them to do something. My Ex finally learned the hard way about if I say something DO IT, after I told her NOT to drop by my work when I was working security in a grocery store in North St. Louis, and she saw me go from merely talking to an individual and saw me and that individual go through a plate glass window while I was trying to control his hand that suddenly reached under his shirt. I told her to get back, she being concerned tried to help me, well she got hit in the face by the subject, while I was still trying to control his hand. My point here, if there EVER comes a time when you absolutely MUST have instant compliance, you need to work with your family, you will need to work out a way to let them know that there are no times for questions, only action. I have just recently started in on the idea of using a code word with my family, so they know that I give orders prefaced with that word, they will KNOW this is a No S!!T deal and to follow instructions immediately. I am also working so that if there is a time I am not available, a friend or family member will have a code word that will let the kids know to follow instructions. Crystal is starting to work this out with her daughter. And you really should take the time to work it out with your family. Assign a code word so they KNOW that compliance must be immediate. It just might save the life of your loved ones, or protect them from injury.


Mark

3 comments:

Murphy said...

Good stuff, codes.

The thing about the ex made me chuckle, however - not from the situation, but the thought that some people (and I'm talking mainly about myself, here) don't REALLY learn a lesson until someone gets hurt. Then it's almost as if a light bulb gets flicked on...

Anonymous said...

Agreed, and that (plus just the psychological NEED for it) is why I'm a future homesteader. Already started my laundry by hand with an old-fashioned washboard (and loving it) after my machine went out. I'm digging my garden plot now and the canning supplies are on the way. I learned that you can even can butter and it will last for years....

Also agreed on the need for kids to be promptly obedient - that's just good raisin' there, and it can and does prevent potential injury, be it a disaster or just exploring hands getting into something they shouldn't.

Simeron Steelhammer said...

A couple of decades ago, I had the joy of having not one, not two but three DIs. Two were US Marine Gunnery Sargents and one was a Chief Petty Officer.

During one of our trainings with firearms, which as I was in the navy some thought was rather silly, one of the Gunnies explained this concept to us in a very simple demonstration.

He had a .50 cal wall mount. Full ammo belt and box, live fire range, and a squad of regular marines (young as we were I thought, slightly older and unbeknown to us, battle trained.)

He yelled "DOWN". Ten marines hit the deck in the live fire range like a good bird dog goes after a bird on the ground. He checked and made sure they were all down and then opened up within a second or two with that .50 cal over thier heads, letting us see the effect those rather large rounds have on concrete. Then turned to us and asked a simply question.

"Think your body armor will stop these rounds long enough for you to ask 'what' or 'why' much less anything else?"

Needless to say, once many jaws managed to close again, the point was made why you react immediately rather then look around before taking cover.

That was a military situation but, the situation the sarge was talking about is an all to real thing these days. Sadly, I believe the de-evolution of disipline has taken its told on this kind of thing.

Frankly, at this moment, I'm kinda wishing for a good flush to get the chaff out of the wheat right now but, I'm kinda moody at the moment. Found out I got "Bell's Palsy" somehow and have lost the use of the lower left side of my face right before Valentine's. Hard to kiss my lovely wife with only half my face working, won't stop me trying like heck but hey, I like doing that job perfect everytime..hehe.

Thankfully though, not a stroke, not even a bad case of this stuff. Can close my eye and all that jazz so, I figure its those .50 cal rounds goig over my head...a warning and wake up call to get things right before something really bad happens...

Good article, glad your writers block is gone (or at least lessened!)

heh