Challenge Two: Build Local Before You Need It
The people at the top have networks. Regular people can too. We just have to build them on purpose. The second challenge is about local capacity : the relationships and resources close to home that hold when bigger systems slow down. Step one: Map your people. Write down everyone within five miles you could actually call in a hard moment: family, neighbors, coworkers, church members, the mechanic, the retired nurse down the road. Most people find the list is shorter than they expected. That's useful to know. Step two: Build one shared resource. Pick just one: Phone tree: 5–10 households agree who calls whom if something happens. Supply list: who has water, a generator, tools, a truck, or extra food. Skills list: who can fix engines, treat injuries, run a chainsaw, or watch kids. "A small network that exists is worth more than a big plan that doesn't." Keep it small and keep it real. Four families with a handwritten phone tree are more prepared than a hundre...