So I know this guy...

Some thoughts on community building

I wanted to share a little insight into an overlooked part of community building. There is a solid conversation going on in our TG group concerning putting together Mutual Assistance Groups (MAGS) or even just finding like minded folks to train and prep with.

So, I wanted to elaborate a little bit on regional, even national, contacts and the importance of it. Everyone may not have a MAG or a group of any sorts. But everyone (at least most) have some contacts in the area that they could hopefully rely on in times of need. Imagine putting together a network of trustworthy folks across a region (or the country) that you could rely on for passing along information, providing a tank of gas, a meal, a few dollars, a safe place to bed down for a night, some ammo, etc. Now have this setup to the point where you have a contact every few hours (think about 1/2 a gas tank) away in all directions from your home base.

Lets say your wife and daughter are taking a girls trip from Cleveland, OH to Nashville, TN. Who do you know along the way that could render aid if they needed it? Do you have a relationship with folks where you could give their contact info to your wife and daughter and if, for whatever reason, they needed help they could contact those people and they would help. If I was traveling to Colorado from Ohio and something happened on the road in Kansas, do I have a contact there to help? Heck yea. Hell, it could be that I am an hour from home at my kids XC race and something happens, you know what, I know a guy I could call in the area that would help. What if Cheddar Actual was reffing a wrestling match in my county and there was a snowstorm and he needed a place to crash for the night. Damn skippy I would make sure he is set up safe and sound (although he would probably be camped out in his truck enjoying a cigar and bourbon) but you get the point.

I guess what I am saying is not to overlook this part of community building. Think of it like having gear caches in your AO.

I first started doing the regional contact thing when I was doing a lot of climbing around the country. I met guys from all over and it was crazy how many times you'd crash on a guys porch in the middle of nowhere just because you had exchanged contact information a year earlier on a climb. My wife would always be amazed when she would travel with me in those early years and I would know dudes. She would be like "how in the world do you know these people, we're hundreds of miles from home and you know 2 guys here". It’s all about contacts and networking.