OH, THOSE HAPPY GO LUCKY PREPPERS

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, a lot of the so-called “Doomsday Preppers” are guys who fantasize about being great leaders in the aftermath of their specific apocalypse du jour.

For example, in Puyallup, Washington, a guy has the usual stockpile of canned goods, sacks of flour and powdered milk (yummy!), frozen foods in a freezer that can be powered by a 4,000-watt generator that operates off the gas he has stockpiled.

“Seattle? Maybe one in 1,000 families could survive more than five days comfortably," the prepper proclaimed. And he added that no buddy will get his stockpiled goodies because he owns “in excess of 17” pistols and rifles in his “safe house.” Does that mean he has a total of 18? Just asking.

During the interview, the guy showed the reporter that he had a holstered .45 under his T-shirt.

“I mean, in an emergency, I'm not gonna tell somebody, ‘Wait a minute, I'm going to get my gun.’ You want to be as prepared as you can be,” Deadeye explained.

MANCHESTER, NEW HAMPSHIRE

 A gentleman from Charlie Company Army Surplus, explained to a reporter from WMUR TV that he’s seeing more and more clean-cut people – as opposed to bearded, long-haired backwoodsmen – coming into the store to get prepper supplies. And he explained that all of the preppers have one thing in common.

“It's fear. I believe it's all fear-based.”

In New Hampshire and elsewhere, experts encourage people to prepare for events such as floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, ice storms and prolonged power outages. In the last six years, New Hampshire has experienced 10 federally-declared natural disasters.

On the other hand, when preppers over prepare, the mental health community takes notice.

“You know, you buy the generator, you put away some food -- you should feel better for now," said psychologist Dr. Eric Mart. “And if that's not working for you, then it's probably something where you should say, ‘Maybe I should talk to someone about this, because I just can't relax. I'm always worried that next thing you know, it's going to be 'Mad Max.’”

“If you're really just worried and anxious about (doomsday) all the time, there's only so much control you have, and at some point, you've got to just let it go and stay involved with what's in front of you," Mart said.

Amen.