One Saturday morning, my wife and I were sitting at the kitchen table, drinking our coffee and talking about what we wanted to do that day.
It was kind of overcast, but I figured I’d take a look at the weather and see if there was any chance we could get to the beach. That’s when I saw the internet was out.
A few minutes later, she asked what time Old City Public House opened and we could go there for an early lunch. It’s one of our favorite places, so you figured one of us would know. I picked up my phone again and still no internet.
I shook my head and was starting to feel a little frustrated. But I put the phone down and we changed the subject.
A minute or so later, we were having a “spirited debate,” that’s what we call arguing these days after twenty-six years of marriage, about what year the original Arthur, with Dudley Moore, came out.
My hand reached for my phone again. And that’s when I started to laugh.
When did I get so dependent on conveniences like this? How did I live before Google? This was ridiculous.
Then I started thinking about what other conveniences snuck their way into my everyday life without me giving them a second thought.
The GPS is a big one. Oh, then there’s Amazon. Then I kept rattling off more in my brain. At what point did these things go from being nice to have to things I felt like I needed?
None of these things are essential to my survival, right? But it suddenly hit me that I was dependent on them.
And it got me wondering: What happens if all those conveniences aren’t there tomorrow?
Let’s Talk Communication
This one is the worst for me.
One afternoon I had my wife count how many times I checked my phone.
Forty-eight. That was in less than three hours and she may have missed some. I made one phone call during that time to my friend Bill who was fixing my Earthquake mini tiller.
Do you know the not so funny thing? I had no idea what Bill’s phone number was. I just hit a button, and it dialed.
I’m embarrassed to say I didn’t even know my daughter’s number, and she is on my cell phone plan.
I realized at the time that I only knew four numbers by heart: my mom’s home phone (the house I grew up in), my home phone, my cell phone, and my wife’s cell phone, which is only one digit off from mine.
Now that is a ridiculous dependency on convenience. In an emergency where I have no access to my phone, I would be in some serious trouble.
I learned my daughter’s number that day. Bill’s, too. Then every week afterwards I would try to memorize two more.
I also went through my contact list and wrote out a list of the numbers that I could possibly need if I ever lost access.
How About Getting Places
I hate to admit this, but there were times I turned the GPS on when I was going two towns over to the Dix Hills library that I’ve been to more than once.
Thinking back, I remember hitting a detour in my own hometown and just following the cars in front of me because I wasn’t exactly sure how to get back to the road I was on and didn’t have time to turn on the GPS. That led to a few dead end turnarounds.
But this is the worst story. Last March, I was in Connecticut visiting my friend Nick. Usually, my wife goes with me, but she had my cousin Pammy’s baby shower that weekend.
For years, it’s the same routine. Drive out to Orient Point and take the ferry to New London. Then drive to Nick’s house in Groton. I must have taken that trip over twenty times. And every time but this one, my wife is the navigator with the GPS on her phone.
It was a great weekend, but it’s 8:15 pm and the last ferry is at 9. No problem, it’s twenty minutes away.
About halfway there, the GPS died. I’m not exactly sure what the exit is for the ferry. It’s dark and it’s getting late. I took the wrong exit but luckily, I knew it immediately because nothing looked familiar.
I got back on the highway, and it was the next exit. I made that last ferry by less than five minutes.
After that night in Connecticut, I realized it’s time to actually know how to get to where I am going.
I pay attention more now to street names, exits, and landmarks. When going on trips, I print out directions, like the old days. I also invested in a paper map and have it in my glove compartment.
Then There’s Food
Every meal I made last week used electricity. And the microwave is my go to for lunch when I heat up leftovers.
So, I decided for the weekend we were only going to have meals we could make if the power was out. My wife wasn’t thrilled, but she appeases me from time to time.
So, I broke out the BBQ. We had rice and beans, pasta and vegetables, oatmeal, even bacon and eggs. Looking in the pantry, there were so many combinations we could have made.
Then I mixed it up, went to the fire pit in the back and made a campfire chili with extra habaneros. It was awesome but soooo hot! There’s nothing quite like campfire cooking.
Water
This is something I never give any thought to, but how many times a day do I turn on a faucet?
Drinking, washing your hands, brushing your teeth, making coffee, flushing toilets, filling Muffin’s bowl, cleaning dishes.
My wife wouldn’t go for two days here, but she gave me a night to see how we would do leaving those taps off.
I had enough water stored for two weeks for the family at the time, so we were in great shape there.
I can’t lie … I reached for the faucet the first time Muffin’s bowl was empty. Then I smiled and grabbed a water jug.
Information
Hey Google, hey Siri, hey Alexa.
Everything we ever need to know is seconds away. Well, what if it wasn’t?
I decided to take the three things I Google or YouTube most and learn them well enough so I don’t have to ask about them again.
One was the recipe for my potato wedges that I could never remember the temperature or time. What the tire pressure for my Prius is and how to connect the hoses to the pool filter were the others.
Shopping
Amazon has probably changed the way I shop more than anything else in my lifetime.
Need anything? It’s just a few clicks away and at my front door tomorrow.
That is a convenience I couldn’t even have imagined as a kid. But now it’s my first reaction when I need something.
But, no internet, no Amazon.
I decided to go “Amazon-free” for two weeks. That meant all online shopping.
The first week was a lot harder than I thought. I needed new sneakers and wanted a new Rangers hat for the game we were going to Friday night, but I could wait. My daughter’s birthday was coming, I actually went out to a store, like the old days.
The second week was a little easier. Now, the way I shop online is different. I don’t need that instant gratification as much.
Entertainment
I don’t think there has been a week in the last five years or so that we haven’t streamed something.
My wife and I sit on the porch every weekend morning, drinking our coffee and playing Wordle, Connections, and Sports Connections on our phones.
One weekend, just to see if we could do it, we gave all that stuff a break. When we first got together, we would play card games all the time. Gin rummy, mostly. Playing again brought back great memories.
We did puzzles at the dining room table, read books, played Uno and Scrabble, but never Monopoly.
Final Thoughts
Google and Amazon are still part of my life and so is Netflix. But I feel better about myself now and am a lot less dependent than I used to be.
I know my daughter’s phone number by heart, I can make my famous potato wedges without Googling, and I can get to the Dix Hills Library without turning on the GPS.
I know we could eat very well without using electricity if we had to and that my campfire chili is amazing. But I definitely use less habaneros these days.
And yes, I even know what time Old City Public House opens now.
Ready to give it a shot?
Anthony Vion is a lifelong prepper from Long Island, NY, who has spent decades building practical self-reliance skills. He writes about everyday prepping in a straightforward, realistic way, with a focus on simple steps that help people stay ready for the unexpected.
This article is for informational and educational purposes only. Always use common sense, and practice proper safety when using grills or other cooking equipment.
