***Wanrning, A Rant and Rave is coming***
We have all done it or something similar,
Sitting in our comfy Lazy boy on a Sunday afternoon in our food stained t-shirt wearing our little manly camo sportsman shorts that has the never used hammer loop attached to one side, our snow white tube socks fitted snugly on our feet so they do not get cold, a bowl of greasy chips sits hands free and steady on our belly, a plate of our own remake of the worlds best buffalo wings sits on the coffee table and a frosty mug of our favorite beer to our side with way to much head, we watch football.
We have all done it or something similar,
From our Lazy Boy we hurtle insults at our teams quarterback saying we could a much better job than he could and then retell the same old tired stories to anyone who will listen of the times in in high school during our championship football game I did.......
Deep down we all know putting on those pads that will not fits us anymore, the same ones we still keep in a box in the attic for some reason, maybe it's to hold on to who we once were and show those youngsters how real men play the game, we would be praying for death after only ten minutes.
We might have all thought it, but we would never admit it to anyone so to show ourselves we are still that young high school stud we all thought we were and we still have what it takes, some of us get together with the old gang and meet at the park to play some real football only to call into work the next couple of days because we hurt, broke or pulled something. Oh, but the stories we can now tell at the water cooler.
But that's not me or you right? We can drive that car better than Jimmie, throw further than Romo and could even knock Tyson out in his prime, all from the comfort of our Lazy boys with pieces of potato chips stuck in our beards and dried wing sauce on our foreheads.
This post is not to degrade our manhood or even belittle our importance of what we do as men. It is simply to voice my opinion.
The arm chair quarterbacks do not just stop at sports, they are also in the Prepping/Survival/Homesteading world as well. The ones who sit behind their computers in the comfort of their recliners and purchased heat, criticizing what others are doing because they can and do it better. I call them the arm chair preppers. Yes we all know of the ones I am talking about.
We all do with what we got and if I can't do it then that means I don't got it.
The last thing I need is for someone who has never built, raised or grew a thing in his life, but has read all the books, websites and watched all the You tube videos on surviving, prepping, homesteading, animal husbandry plus what ever else they could find, to tell me I am wrong or that I shouldn't. All because they have a couple of months of store bought food stashed away and a bottle of water purifier, they think they are experts.
We all have done it or something similar right?
I invite you, the arm chair prepper, to put down the computer and the chip bowl, put on your pads and come to the Mini Farm for a weekend. You will get tired from just watching me all day.
You crack me up! And I totally hear ya. :)
ReplyDeleteDon't know why, but reminds me of a sign I saw once at a farmers market. The guy was selling those big chimes made out of gas cylinders. It said, "Sure, you could probably make one yourself, but you won't, so you might as well buy one." :)
oh that's just too awesome and funny! good one Rae!
DeleteThanks Rae, I just needed to vent a little.
Deletei think i need a sign like that...i love it.
DeleteI wrote about this some time ago...when "Armchair Preppers" were annoying the ever-lovin' crap out of me!
ReplyDeletehttp://droptheshoe.blogspot.com/2011/02/armchair-preppers-and-random-thoughts.html#comment-form
I got plenty of comments, lol. Guess we have all run into them at one time or another.
Lamb I will check out your post.
DeleteYup, they are everywhere.
Planning and Foresight without Action is nothing. -K
ReplyDeletewww.planningandforesight.blogspot.com
I agree.
DeleteThank you for stopping by and commenting K
MDR, buddy - i know nothing about football and don't watch it. but i have run into some serious-*ssed armchair preppers. i hate to brag, but in my travels i have met the "rich" armchair preppers and they are definitely a lot of fun. you know the kind, or maybe you don't - they are the ones with security cameras all around their suburban property, more equipment than you can shake a stick at, have 40 yrs worth of food AND 40 yrs worth of expensive wine stocked up - they have backup backhoes for their backup backhoes, they own Bug Out locations in several countries but live in a McMansion in the city. oh ya - those are my favourite kind! they are usually fat, couldn't grow a sprout if their life depended on it (though they do have 40+yrs of seed survival vaults!), and couldn't lift their $2,000 Bug Out Bags off the floor without breaking their backs! nor could they track a twinkie to the fridge - bahahahahah! ya, i like the rich ones - they are the most fun!
ReplyDeletei can't wait to go and read Lamb's post - should be good for a giggle!
your friend,
kymber
Yes Kymber I do the kind you speak of. I am sure they will survive whatever happens, for a while. You just can't be a prepper without being a homesteader. One day all your preps will run out if whatever it is lasts long enough. If you do not know how to replace those preps then it is all in vain.
DeleteFor the past few days I have been exchanging emails with a guy who thanks kinda along the same way by being a prepper when prepper was not even a word. I did not know that word until I started blogging. It is a way of life, not just a fad. I have always done it. It took the blog world to put a label on it.
totally agree about those durn spoiled lazy-boy preppers...all big talk, big $bucks$, and no action whatsoever. homesteading and being self sufficient/self reliant is hard work that never ends.
DeleteAgreed Anony. Thanks for the comment.
DeleteFunny you should write about this. I was just going to do a post my self on prepping because my man bought me something that I can't wait to get started on. I think this weekend.
ReplyDeleteI will be looking forward in reading it sista.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by.
Totally agree, liked the post! A lot of people do not realize how much work is in homesteading, looks great and easy from a book.
ReplyDeleteThank you Country Life for the comment. Yes, it is easy to read about what you want to do but doing it is a different story.
DeleteGreat post, MDR. I love the part about just getting tired watching you. I have used that many a time on younger and healthier wantabe's.
ReplyDeleteMy daily schedule is get up at 7:00 am, outside on my mini-farm by 8:00 am, work on some project until noon, into the house to shower, have a bite to eat and get my dinner ready, then off to the job at 2:00 pm, work until 11:30 pm, head for home and into bed at 1:00 am and then up the next morning at 7:00 am and start all over again.
That's just during the week, just watch me on the weekends....and I'm 59 years old.
Thank you Jim for leaving a comment.
DeleteI got that saying from my dad and even to this day it is true. As much as I do I still get tired of just watching him work and he is 68.
I should only hope I can still keep pace at that age.
You sound like a spring chicken yourself. 59 is nineteen years older than I am and I sure hope my knees hold up till then.
Good job with what you do. I would love to see some of your projects.
Amen! We deal with this all the time, and unfortunately from our family. "We should do this out at the Compound, or we should do that, etc" But what they really mean is YOU do it, and I'll just sit back and enjoy the ride, or show up after all the hard work is done. Hang in there.
ReplyDeleteAww, I'm good Izzy. I just needed to rant about it for a minute or so. I get many emails a day and most I do enjoy but then then are the ones that want to tell me how I am doing something wrong who really do not have a clue.
DeleteFamily is the one strong hold you think you can count on but that is also where I get criticized the most from.
I might be an arm-chair prepper, but I don't get into sports. I've been told that's unAmerican. I'll still go for the chips and barbeque, though.
ReplyDeleteEven if you are Gorges, you have never done to me what I described.
DeleteIf you are called Un-American for not getting into sport, then that is like I was called a Nazi once for putting creamer in my coffee.
Tell me how you really feel MDR. ;)
ReplyDeleteOk, be kind. Remember we are friends. **ducks**
You know I was thinking of something similar recently. Some days it is so easy to just sit and not get anything done on my never ending to do list. It is depressing. I know that when I get something done or make good progress I feel much better about myself and life. Sure blogs, books, and even youtube is great but just living in your head will not take care of you and the ones you love. I agree, get out and get a little dirt on your hands and knees. You'll be a better person for it.
Hmmm, I think I might have just joined in on the rant myself. Oh, and I know you would wear me out. How you get so much done baffles me. Then again I know you have some handy experience I have yet to acquire. Still I do what I can and when in doubt I fake it until it works.
- Genevieve
My dear friend G, you know as well as I do you can work beside me all day long and never tire. We are both so hard headed that we would not give each other the satisfaction of letting the other win by saying "I am done"
DeleteAs far as the knowledge gained from blogs, books and you tube, I could not do half of what I do without the gained knowledge I gather from other sources. The idea is, applying that learned skill into something useful like you do that makes all the difference.
Don't fool yourself, you do great work and I admire what you do with what you have.
That is about as mushy as I will get.
Well your mushiness moved me. Thank you. - G
DeleteVenting is good. You are right. We know some people like that. Everything we do is criticized and is totally wrong, but never seem to produce on their own.
ReplyDeleteI do feel better after this post John. I have been wanting to say it for a while now.
DeleteThank you for stopping by.
I do know people like this. But, I can also put myself in this catagory. I talk about prepping, but I also know that I could do a lot more.
ReplyDeleteAs long as you are doing it keeps you out of that group SFG.
DeleteThanks for the comment
Hey MDR how's it goin? Here's what I like to do, not nessesarily just to the arm chair types but with people in general who have never grown anything to eat for themselves. I like to wait till the heirloom tomatoes are big and juicy and ready to eat and then take some to work and give them away. I tell em go on, take a slice and put a little salt on it and try it. I love the looks on peoples faces the first time they bite into a real tomato. They ask where did you get this and say they want to buy some. I just smile and say they aint for sale, you gotta grow them yourself. I've actually converted a couple of people that way who didn't know how good things could taste. Don
ReplyDeleteDon, I have done that with fresh eggs and some pasture raised meats and yes, they always come back and ask where they cam buy more.
DeleteYou just can't beat real food.
It is the internet people hiding behind the computer who I have the biggest problems with because they usually do not tell me where or who they are but they sure tell me what I am doing wrong.
Thanks for the comment
Good morning MDR! Sometimes you just have to pull out the old soapbox- but it's good to let off some steam now and then. If I got a nickle for every time someone questioned why I grow as much of my own food as possible(it helps to be near the family farm if you don't have one of your own- yet), make bodycare products, use vinegar and essential oils to clean... *sigh* Some people just don't get it, and they won't even if you hit them over the head with it. They believe that they can do things better than others, but they have never really tried. And they follow the every word of advertizing campaigns that promote all types of snake-oils, gadgets and gizmos that do more harm than good. Don't have a second thought about those 'armchair rangers'- you and yours have built a lovely homestead together, and that's all that matters. :)
ReplyDeleteSara I like the term "Armchair Rangers". That made me laugh.
ReplyDeleteYes it is good to let it hang out so to speak every now and then.
The people I meet ask the same questions. They say America is too big to fail and why go through all the trouble in doing things the hard way when the modern world gives it to you much easier.
Those I can deal with, it is the ones who say they can do it all and that I need to do their way or it's wrong I have the problem with.
Thanks for stopping by.
It's something I picked up in the Army, (it seems to be what the Army Rangers would like use in reference to anyone not them). Regular folks like me however, use it to describe the annoying people that judge you harshly and tell you everything is wrong- but just can't gather up the gumption to show that they know what they're talking about. I thought that it was a good fit for all of those naysayers telling you that it couldn't be done while you are doing it right in front of them. Bravo! p.s. Thanks for letting me stop by and chat. :)
ReplyDeleteI like it.
DeleteStop by anytime.