In 1609 to 1610: Colonial Jamestown experienced a severe drought and subsequent famine totally wiping out the community's food supply;

In 1727: English Ship; the Luxborough Galley, sank after catching fire leaving survivors afloat for two weeks in the mid-Atlantic;

In 1820; The Essex, an American whale ship, was sunk by a sperm whale in the Pacific Ocean, also leaving its survivors afloat;

In 1846–47: 87 American Pioneers were trapped by snow in Sierra Nevada while attempting to reach California from Missouri; and,

In 1972: 45 people, including a rugby team with friends and family, crashed into the Andes Mountains, ultimately leaving 16 survivors.

'Sooooo?' You say. 'What's up with the history lesson?'

Well, this history lesson goes far beyond the history pages they're written on.

What all of these dates in history have in common is ... survival.

I know, duh?!

Well, hear me out. Most, if not all, of these survivors were good, honest, upstanding, law-abiding people. The kind of people you would meet at church, at the grocery store, at a social event or just in passing.

But they were also ... cannibals. (silence)

In each of these tragedies - the survivors ate the dead to survive.

'Ugh!!!' 'I could never do that!' You say. 

I'm sure they said the same thing too.

In a disaster situation - when food and water become scarce people 'will' become desperate.  And, as a result, they will do whatever it takes to feed themselves and their family by whatever means it takes.

For these survivors, it was doing the unimaginable - eating another human being.

Take Colonial Jamestown as an example. When all their food supplies were exhausted, they did what most were accustom to, they hunted.  But not the normal fare, they caught cats, dogs, mice, snakes … and then out of shear desperation, they ate shoe and boot leather and lastly … dead corpses.

Keep in mind, when people have a ‘will’ to live they will find a ‘way’ to survive.  Cannibalism was the ‘way’ for these survivors.

Imagine, if there is an economic collapse, an EMP (atmospheric or nuclear) or any other disaster natural or man-made for that matter that reduces or dries up our food supplies – and we live to tell about it - will we be forced to hold in a deep-dark secret? Denying the events of the past in the face of reality? Will you, like those of Colonial Jameson, when faced with starvation move to more drastic measures, such as looting, theft from others, and yes, even eating things never imagined, like a cat or dog, a horse? Or, insects, tree bark, once those resources are gone … or worse, your dead neighbor?

Why would I even talk about such a horrible topic? Well, because we need to be aware that these things have happened in the past and you can bet in a moment of desperation and starvation … it will happen again and not just by bad people.

People will revert back to a primal state – hunter/gathers to find food … er nourishment wherever possible after a disaster.

Face it, we have all experienced a hunger pain or two after skipping breakfast, lunch or dinner, right?  But have you even gone days … or let’s say, a day without food?  It’s not a pleasant feeling. What about weeks without food after a disaster?  Now add the stress of protecting yourself, your family and homestead and your stress level soars. Your thinking becomes muddled and, morals and values go out the window.  Soon you’re eyeing that dead corpse lying across the street wondering if you can get to it before someone else does.

When people say they don’t believe in zombies … maybe you should rethink that thought.

Just sayin’

- Survivor Jane

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