To anyone who is paying attention to the signs, it is obvious that human society is in a deeply troubled state. Natural disasters are happening everywhere at an accelerating rate, the economy is frozen by overwhelming public and private debt, and government gridlock threatens to shut down the Nanny State that tens of millions of Americans have come to rely on for their survival. The latter observation should not be taken as criticism of those Americans – they have been left to cling to the tattered life preservers thrown to them by the government because the private banks and corporations that have come to control everything have stopped providing real economic opportunity. These powerful interests, driven as they are by avarice and greed, are far more concerned about protecting their obscene profit margins from even the slightest risk in times of trouble than they are about helping to create decent jobs for people who need to work to feed their families and pay their bills.
It should be clear to everyone that the time for bold and assertive action is at hand. But the mainstream media and political elites continue to distract people with bread and circuses, and where there should be a burgeoning mass movement demanding change, what we have instead is a nation of quiescent souls sitting and waiting for the same politicians they supposedly despise to pass the perfect legislation that is somehow going to make everything all right again. Instead of tea parties for real action, we are given phony “grass-roots movements” that are sponsored and controlled by the same big-money interests that have been enslaving us all along.
Because of the Internet, it is now easier than ever before to find like-minded souls who understand what is happening and know what must be done. Those who have chosen to reject the lies and the manipulation once and for all and to live without compromise no longer have to be isolated because their families don’t understand them or because mainstream society brainwashes the masses to shun those who refuse to accept the status quo.
Finding Connection
Intentional communities of fellow travelers, whether they are still in the planning stages in anticipation of a post-collapse future or actually in existence right now, are a wonderful way for off-the-gridders to find social, emotional, and physical mutual support to complement their hard-earned independence and self-reliance. But while finding others to trade ideas, skills, and resources with can help bring a much-needed sense of hopefulness and a feeling of belonging to preppers and survivalists, there are still many who are missing something vitally important that everyone wants and needs in their lives – a partner to share it all with. Living and working and community building off the grid may be the only chance we have to survive the coming conflagration, but no matter what else is going on in our lives and in the world, our hearts can never go off-the-grid. A lonely heart can only shrivel up and die, and where there should be love and happiness, there will instead be a void of desperation and despair.
Many people have trouble finding love, but for preppers the situation can be even more difficult to solve because there are so few people who are capable of comprehending and accepting the truth about how dire the current world situation really is. Internet forums and other websites where off-the-gridders gather are wonderful places to find friendship and camaraderie, but connections of the heart tend to be more elusive for those practicing alternative lifestyles in a society where the vast majority choose to go along just to get along. But all over the internet, specialized dating sites have sprung up to assist those who are looking for like-minded people, and there is now at least one site available for survivalists, preppers, and off-the-gridders who would like to find that special someone.
Hearts Online
Survivalist Singles caters exclusively to those who are seeking romance and relationships with others who have embraced the off-the-grid lifestyle and/or the ideology of self-sufficiency and self-reliance. Anyone who would like to join is free to do so at no cost, and once someone becomes a member and posts a profile on the site they will be allowed to browse through the profiles of other members and contact anyone they would like by email. The site also has forums and chat rooms were people can socialize and exchange ideas, and instant messages can be sent to any other members who might happen to be online at a given time. Since those who have been looking for love have probably already spent time on Internet dating websites, all of this probably sounds familiar; but the special twist here is that the site is specifically designed to provide a meeting place for those who have chosen to go off the grid or would like to do so in the near future.
In addition to this website, which claims to have successfully brought together many who have ended up married or in relationships, some of the forums around the Internet that provide outlets for survival-themed interaction have opened up special sections for those interested in romance. And of course, social networking sites like Facebook do give people a good opportunity to find others who see things the same way they do.
Off-the-gridders looking for romance online face one problem that other specialized groups do not, however, and that is the imbalance between the numbers of men and women who are aware of and have adopted the prepper lifestyle. At Survivalist Singles, there are twice as many men who have joined as women, and younger women in particular appear to be poorly represented. Nevertheless, for men in particular who have had trouble finding women who share their ideals, an Internet dating site like Survivalist Single could dramatically expand their ability to make contact with members of the opposite sex.
Internet dating sites must always be approached with extreme caution. People who find each other online should really make an effort to get to know each other well before they physically meet by exchanging emails, phone calls, and videos of their lives. If indeed they do decide to get together for coffee or lunch, the first meeting – and the next several meetings – should always take place in public places, and at the end of the date each person should leave separately and on their own. Once a level of trust has been established, then and only then is it time to bring someone home to meet parents, children, or other members of the family. It also would not be a bad idea to hire a private detective to do a background check on people met through online dating services, just to be sure that everything is on the up and up.
Taking a Chance on Romance
While the odds may be against finding the perfect person on the Internet – especially for off-the-grid men – millions of successful relationships and marriages have started out this way. Those who choose to go off the grid do so in large part because they want to live in a way that is authentic, and a life without romance and companionship is inconsistent with this ideal because it is just an imitation of what our existences were meant to be. The off-the-grid community is trying to build something better and more sustainable than what mainstream society has to offer, and that is a vision that is definitely worth sharing with someone special.
©2011 Off the Grid News