For most of us, our main job however long this new government lasts is to survive and to bring people with us. Toward that end, it’s time to take inventory, now, before the disruptions start. It’s time to think about things you have that other people may need and figure out how to get them to others.

That doesn’t mean it’s time to cause a run on the banks or stockpile and hoard everything. Stability is one of the things that keep people alive. But it’s time to look at your money, while it’s yours, and figure out how much safety you can buy for people with it. Think shoring up safety nets. Think moving people from where they’re under immediate threat to the states that will fight back—and housing them when they arrive. Think purchase and repair of durable goods that will provide the ongoing means of local survival. Think building first aid and other skills.

It’s time to inventory your durable goods, because goods are about to get less durable. Consumer protections are very high on the list of things to be eliminated. The things you have now are likely to be worth more than the things people will be able to easily get in the future. Think about what you have that will last you with a bit of extra care, and about what you have that other people will be able to use. Get hooked up with your (existing!) local mutual aid groups so you can offer your stuff and hear when things are needed.

Think, too, about what you have that you can use to help others. Vehicles with some cargo space, tools, sewing machines, craft stashes, pressure canners, cooking supplies—get them into good shape and figure out what they’ll need to stay that way if supply lines get disrupted. If they’re not needed now, being hooked into mutual aid groups will tell you when there’s an opportunity to be helpful.

Inventory your skills. Don’t neglect the ones that are trivial to you but may not be to someone else, like talking to people on the phone or standing in line or being assertive in the face of obstructive bureaucracy. Think too about the ones technology has made less relevant, like researching in physical libraries or making zines.

Consider whether there are ways to make your skills more durable or transferable. Do you need a refresher course? Do you need physical manuals or reference books in case your internet is disrupted? Do you have local copies of your patterns and know how to alter them? Are your knives sharpened and your recipes written down? Do you know how to make substitutions in your materials safely and usefully?

Are you connected to an organization that can distribute the food you grow, the quilts you make, etc.? Do local tool libraries and/or maker spaces have your contact information when someone comes in who needs more than they can do themselves? Again, find that local mutual aid group that will let you know when there are needs.

Our individualistic consumer society has trained us to think of our stuff as trash in the making and our skills as hobbies to fill up the tiny bit of free time we have. Inventorying these things now will help us shake off that thinking and be ready when we’re needed—or more helpful now. Also, sitting down and making these inventories is good for shaking off those feelings of helplessness many of us have right now.

Photo by Dan Dimmock on Unsplash