in·teg·ri·ty (?n-t?g’r?-t?) pronunciation n.
1. Steadfast adherence to a strict moral or ethical code.
2. The state of being unimpaired; soundness.
3. The quality or condition of being whole or undivided; completeness.
[Middle English integrite, from Old French, from Latin integrit?s, soundness, from integer, whole, complete.]
We go by many names, Wog, Randian, Individualist, Loner, The men who don’t fit in, Adventurer, Nutcase, Eccentric, Hacker, Urban explorer, Revolutionary, Libertarian, but no matter what you call us , we all have things in common, an insatiable need to know things, the will to go look, and not take most things on faith, (Most things earthly, some of us are Religious, but even then we wonder, and wish we could know for sure).
We come together when the need arises, but mostly we are loners, We argue, we pick at things, we agree to not agree, we create, build, mold, we try to make things in our image, We are not happy wherever we are at, we always have to see whats next, and sorry, but all of us aren’t quite all there, we all have our quirks and problems, mine’s bi-polar.
We are color blind mostly and we come in all shapes and sizes, the only thing we really are prejudice against is stupidity.
We spend a lot of time working up a personal code of ethics and we stick to it, come what may, that made some of us martyrs, we believe that the world is ours and that knowledge is free, and when that isn’t the way it is, we have a tendency to change things if we can, if not we take them. We are constantly trying to make the world conform to us, but we are out numbered, so we live in the cracks, the shadows, the free-zones, and in plain sight, we work from the outside, some of us from the inside. We are not easily led, nor do we follow blindly, if we did we wouldn’t be one of us. We are the people that go to the moon, Antarctica, that new land in the west, we wander the back roads of society and wonder at the glory of the world. And we test, we test our selves and our friends, our enemies and our family.
We understand that we are finite, and that the only thing we can leave behind is our deeds and knowledge. We know in our bones, everything changes. We have families of all types and sizes, natural or made, most of us have children and we worry, will they be of the herd or the I, like us. But most of all, we have no problems with the way a person lives, not the number or the kind.
We are peaceful and understand the need for some form of law for all, but if we are stepped on we will rise up and defend ourselves(and very well too) and when it is over we will mourn the fact that we had to use something as crude as force to keep safe, but we go on.
How will you know us, when the hurricane hits, we are the ones sitting in our lawn chair healthy and hale, eating our mre’s and wondering at the stupidity, when the the gov’t says we have to go to war or thats the way it is, we are the ones saying why, when we are walking down the street and see the thugs at play, we are the ones yelling stop and protecting the weak.You know us, because when the chips are down and you are lost, you cling to us like leech’s and we worry and fret about you and gladly keep you safe, but wish you would be stronger. We are the ones, when it’s safe again, that you throw away.
You will know us, because when they tell us all to bow down, we are the ones still standing.
The I’s are here, have always been here, and always will be here and there and over there. We are all around.
oh yea, and we love our kit.
Tony Lucas
March 4th, 2011 at 18:42
WOW – that is so accurate its as if you looked into my very being.
You are so damn right.
nicholas arredond
March 12th, 2011 at 04:48
so true….but without youtube being a prepper is so lonely….before i found youtube…i thought there were very few preppers……to all preppers on youtube ….thank you
Dave
March 13th, 2011 at 04:01
Very well said! You’re right on the money… always been that way and always will be. The older I get the more I don’t fit in with this plastic matrix of a world, but that comes with the territory and I’m just fine with it.
@nicholas – I can also relate to your comment. One way or another we’re drawn and connected to those like minded “Men of Integrity”.
@edward – this post reminded me of a book I read not long ago called the Davinci Method. You might like it… it’s geared to our kind of strange breed.
Claudia
August 21st, 2011 at 23:19
This is a nice article. I´ve encountered this article several times this week searching for something alike. Now is in my mail box :) Keep up the good work!
MrsVolfe
September 2nd, 2011 at 14:56
So Glad to know we are NOT alone..apart..but never alone!
SoulForge
December 14th, 2011 at 16:23
well said
buddyboy1953
December 31st, 2011 at 13:14
hey man,just saw your vid,great work.i watch as much as possible to learn on prepping,for when shtf i hope to be ready,and i will be.thanks to all of you men on u tube i know im right in prepping.still need help on food storage so any knowledge you want to share will be great.here what i did so far,have 50 acres of property,way out of the way,bought all my seeds for veggies,bought all the guns,bought the ammo,bought chickens,bought cows,bought pigs,bought the fortress,need to reinforce it somewhat,lol.i believe when shtf all hell will break lose,no friends,no relatives,i am hunkering down,survival mode 100%.dont know what all the bs is about on the vids,but just know you did help guys like me out.anyway,good luck,buddyboy