Almost 29 and I am still the same as I was last year

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Er, this is illogical thinking - it's not actually leverage to achieve anything. Or what did you imagine, what objective would it be used as leverage for?

Unfortunately, I am still suffering from mental blocks. Failure defines the bulk of my past.

Yeah, my past is like that. What kind of mental blocks are you experiencing?

Feeling like there is a shelf life and cut off age to having a girlfriend, being unable to learn new abilities as well as improving ones I wish I were better at, and wondering if I've missed out on finding my place in life.

A lot of these blocks come from redneck cultural messages that say stuff like "Dat ain't gonna git yew eniwere!" or "Yew city slickers dun no hard wurk!" (Ironically, rednecks love Wal-Mart despite how they are in cities) or "If you ain't white or Christian, you ain't a real Amurican!" and other such nonsense. To a redneck, if you aren't slowly destroying your body through "hard work" simply because society tells you to do so, you are wasting time. But why is it that people versed in arts, writing, science, and music (Not country music) are much more intelligent than rednecks? I feel like I am actually conversing intelligently talking to a punk rocker instead of a Toby Keith fan.

Well...ugh...

I come from rednecks, so I speak the language and understand them. We're more intelligent than you give us credit for. I think you might misunderstand us.

Rednecks have a certain value in a high work ethic, a sense of pride in working with their hands and deriving a sense of accomplishment from something large-scale and tangible. I'm a bit of a rarity among "country boys" because while I espouse the same work ethic and Christian values, I channel that in less tangible and more abstract effort--more "artsy" or "intellectual" work, so to speak. Doesn't make me smarter or lazier than a typical redneck. It just makes me different.

As I get older, I'm finding that a lot of redneck domestic practices are VERY smart, anyway. Rednecks have been doing this stuff for decades, but if you research DIY culture on the internet, you're going to find there are quite a few young, hipster millenials out there teaching themselves auto repair, woodworking/carpentry, roof repair, electrical wiring, house flipping... And they're sharing how-to's and their own experiences on YouTube. And we rednecks are all like, hey, whar y'all been??? lol And don't forget all the Yankee and Midwestern homesteaders and off-gridders up there, too. These are BRILLIANT, highly educated, very sophisticated, intellectuals doing absolutely amazing things with very little.

I'm late to the game myself, but it's to the point that not owning a handgun is less and less an option. I don't have a hunting license, either. And I'm asking myself questions like, "will getting minorcas, plymouth rocks, and cornish be my best bet for next year, or should I just go with rhode island reds and maybe some leghorns?" Regularly slaughtering animals is not what I had in mind, but now it's becoming a matter of being self-sufficient. My grandfather didn't really handle this very humanely, but I figure if he can slaughter and dress chicken, and if my parents could skin squirrels, and heck, if even I can dress crappie and bream, just MAYBE I can come up with a sustainable meat source.

Doesn't matter how "intellectual" or "bright" you are if you're unable to survive.

Oh, and one little FYI: I have a bachelor's degree from DSU (in Mississippi) and a master's degree from SUNY-Potsdam. New York people LOVE me just the way I am, drawl and all. Always keep an open mind and positive attitude towards ALL people and they will repay you with the same respect.

I am probably over generalizing but a lot of rednecks I know are very tribal in nature. They subscribe to the Baptist religion, look down on city people (Despite how Wal-Mart is their Shangri-La), tote guns, drive hazardously, think non-white people are amalgamations of stereotypes, love country music, and think you can't have morals unless you are a Christian. My father is a redneck so I've seen their culture first hand. If I mention the music I like, they think it's either "devuhl's mewsick" or "noise" or "weeyurd s**t". They also drink and smoke to the point that seems to be the only thing they do socially.

So wait, are rednecks and survivalists the same thing?

Devil's music? lol And country music isn't? Heheh...ever hear of Johnny Cash? Waylon Jennings? Willie Nelson? And yes, Toby Keith? Devil music...that just makes me laugh!

I don't hide the fact I listen to "weeyurd $h¡+." I just explain my music isn't for everyone and I'm cool with that.

Heheh...don't get me started on Christian apologetics. Much of the morality people claim to have is borrowed from Christian morals. They're right on that point. They just don't know how to articulate it. Most Christians have that in common. That's getting off topic, though.

I've seen what happens to chronic smokers. I'm scared of that crap. Can't figure out why they insist on it, but likely it's something they all start as teenagers, and their dads probably all encouraged them. Ignore they heavy drinkers and smokers. You'll outlive them and date their daughters when they're old enough. Lol

Baptists are fairly tame, honestly. Each Baptist church is different, some more progressive in style and some more liturgical...and anything in between. It's the more laid-back Assembly of God churches I'm most interested in since they aren't all that pushy with the speaking in tongues thing. I stick with Baptist largely because I'm uncomfortable in that kind of setting and feel more at home where I am.

And Wal-Mart is just stupid. That's where I go for underwear and socks. I do Kroger for groceries, fuel, and school supplies. There's another locally owned grocery I use for cheap steak. And if I'm travelling, I hit Sam's for bulk dry goods. I hate Wal-Mart. Long lines, understaffed, bad attitudes, horrible customer service. Why do people even go there?

I feel physically ill when I am inside Wal-Mart. I don't understand the love for it either.

Besides worrying about the cut off age and shelf life, I worry that my thinning hair, body fat (I am not obese but I am overweight), and lack of past romantic experiences make me unattractive to girls.

Ok, well, just hit the walking trail for an hour a day, cut down meal portions, and just do some mild weight lifting.

Also, if hair thinning is an issue, here's what I did: Best Friend (aka wife) bought me some clippers for Christmas. After some experimentation, I went with the #2 guard. My hair pattern makes it look like I have a combover even though I don't. Looks freakin aweful. So as long as I keep my hair clipped about once a month, and if I grow my facial hair out about 3-4 days, I get much respect. You do what's right for you, of course. This is just what I do and only a suggestion. We all have to find our own way. Short hair can work wonders for any guy, especially if you're thinning out up top. Plus, if you can pull off the Thorsten Kaye/Ridge Forrester beard, that a big plus in your favor. Helps if you can talk like Thorsten, but if it sounds too fake don't bother. I have a low-pitched voice, so it comes a little more naturally for me, plus Thorsten Kaye is just the MAN.

When civilization ends and you're left without food or electricity, you're be glad you've got enough fat to live on for a while. Don't worry, you won't be overweight for long.

Excellent point, but what about the zombie apocalypse? The fatties are always the first to go.

Huh? Are you making a slight at me or are you joking with me?

I was making fun of survivalists, not you.

I look at survivalism as good info to have that you hope you never need!

Rednecks and survivalists aren't the same, but there are a number of rednecks who happen to be survivalists. I'm more in the wannabe homesteader/off-gridder camp, not for any other reason than I just want to be more independent and self-sufficient. That's just good for anyone to do. I've already listed some things we do that have drastically cut our cost of living, and a lot of things we've done even urban apartment-dwellers can manage: sharply reduce spending so you accumulate about $500. Hit a bulk-buy warehouse, like costco or sam's club. Bake your own bread, learn to like rice. Invest in frozen veggies rather than fresh. Frozen meats, especially fish. Learn to use an electric pressure cooker for most meal prep.

Additionally, lose your cable TV and broadband internet. Go with an inexpensive mobile data plan and carefully monitor your usage (unless you have unlimited). Keep windows open and run fans in the summer, don't use central A/C, and only run enough heat in winter to keep from freezing to death. Take cold showers/baths to keep cool.

We're bare bones almost to the extreme out here. Any more and we'd be Amish. We have to scrounge for gas money sometimes, but all our bills are paid for a year. So all we have to come up with is auto/house insurance, groceries, and we're still trying to come up with a plan for school tuition. Combined income: less than $25k. We could both get fired tomorrow and we could at least keep lights on for the next 11 months.

I'm working on bringing up the income, of course. But you have to look at where survivalists and homesteaders are coming from. There are no guarantees. Maybe the world won't end, but there are levels of crises, and any preparation you can make, no matter how small, will always work in your favor.

Honestly I think a lot of survivalists just do it as a sort of hobby; not seriously expecting society to fall apart any time soon.