Greetings My name is aka- philanthropest. I wasn't sure how to introduce myself...so, like others, I will start at the 'beginning'... first with my fears, my struggles, my hopes/dreams and my accomplishments.and failures...which I will minimize because I am learning to enjoy this journey called LIFE.
I grew up in a small town in Northern Ontario Canada...a town with the most important NORAD military base in Canada.
I was a child tormented by fear(s).
Screaming jets were common sights/sounds in the sky and as a young child growing up in the cold war era, in a town with nuclear proliferation 'imminent' and always on my 'radar' of fear. The first fear I remember was of 'GORILLAS'.... I had heard of Gorilla Warfare on the news and, in my young mind, I imagined the terrifying reality of Planet of the Apes...literally! No one ever thought to correct me: Guerrilla Warfare...NOT Gorilla Warfare. It sure would have helped calm me!
"Gorillas are across the Ocean,' my mother would say in an attempt to reassure me.
'Where is the ocean, Mom?" I asked.
"Way over those hills," she pointed out my bedroom window to the distant rolling hills.
This was reassuring to me, since I knew the Gorillas were attacking people far away and my family and I were safe. And, the fighter jets were here to protect us. Unfortunately, I heard about the FLQ "Gorilla Attack" in Quebec, Canada...which I knew was only a few kilometers away. I couldn't sleep...tormented by nightmares of Gorillas attacking my home...especially since now I now knew that Gorillas had obviously evolved and COULD swim and Gorilla Warfare had reached Canada!
Eventually, I grew out of that and was gripped with the fear of 'The Russians" and of nuclear war.
My nightmares were filled with terror of mushroom clouds of death. This fear was reinforced in school where we were taught about the military importance of my community. I learned how to duck under my desk and cover my head. Then I learned that we had approximately 20 minutes from the time the air raid sirens blared until the first bomb would strike us. So, I spent my time developing an "escape to safety" plan. I knew my family could drive to the safety of "the hill" - an underground "war-safe" military base near our home. I made a fall-out shelter (in case the Russians missed) under the stairs in the basement of my home. Canned food, pictures of my family and books were stockpiled there. This helped to create a sense of safety, but I was still tormented by nightmares of nuclear war.
Then "it" happened...and I remember "this" crystal clear to this day.
I was outside playing basketball with my best friend and the ground shook followed by a loud rumbling "BOOM." I turned to look and there "it" was. A huge mushroom of fire rose up in the sky- seemingly in my backyard. It turned out it was the gas pipeline that had exploded...but I didn't care...I was sure the Russians had bombed us and this was D-Day. I wet my pants!
I begged my father to evacuate the house and get to safety immediately. To my dismay, my father drove me to the top of the hillside so we could have full view of this fiery inferno. I hid under the dashboard and couldn't believe how insensitive my father was...especially for leaving my Mom at home!
I don't fear nuclear war anymore and cannot imagine anyone being so stupid to destroy this beautiful planet. I don't fear the "Russians" anymore...I don't know who or what to fear and no longer listen to main stream media because I don't believe anything they report. I do keep a close eye on the news through my various media sources thanks to the internet.
WHAT IF THERE IS AN EMP... ahhh, the thoughts that consume my mind.
I guess you would call me a "prepper." I stack silver, have made faraday cages for all my 'electronics,' stockpile emergency food supplies and am currently working on a development of a 'BUG OUT' COMMUNITY with many tiny homes that require no energy to heat or cool, renewable energy sources and a constant freshwater supply. AND natural beauty.
There is SO MUCH more about 'ME' but each is a story unto itself...all of which have contributed to WHO I AM today...
- How I met and fell in love with my husband of 20 years...and ALL the joy and tragedy of our relationship
- The birth of our first son, followed by our twins a year later...and the hole in the ozone layer due to the bags of diapers sent to the landfill
- My addiction to narcotics
- My 'life as a wounded entrepreneur' - each an incredible journey of adventure worthy of a story...inventing and selling games- the gaming industry in NOT fun; trying to build the world's biggest jigsaw puzzle- I have tens of thousands of jigsaw puzzle pieces from kids around the world; designing affordable, energy efficient housing- net zero ready homes...and teaching First Nation communities to build their own homes
- Addressing FOOD SECURITY by building a year-round, net zero greenhouse
WOW, I have experienced A LOT in my short life and I look forward with so much anticipation for the journey to continue...no matter how difficult it has been so far. IT'S WORTH IT
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