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I wish the show “Live from Daryl’s House” was still going on, but this video with Grace Potter eleven years ago seems like the perfect prepper regret song. At least to me.
I’m sure when Grace Potter wrote “Things I Never Needed,” the last thing she had on her mind was prepping, but that’s what I think about when I listen to the song and lyrics. You can see an older version of Things I Never Needed by Grace Potter & the Nocturnals here.
This is a beautiful song with an entirely different meaning from what I’m hearing, so let me set the stage a little and see if you hear what I hear.
Prepper Regret
Think of an old prepper that spent too many years and too much of his life stocking up food and supplies they never needed.
Think how they might grow to regret spending so much time on all that preparedness and prepper life while missing out on life with the family.
Look at the prepper regret in the lyrics
Take away this sense of regret Take the things I need to forget Take the mistakes I haven't made yet They're all I have left
Do you feel that? I don’t know what will if that doesn’t get your prepper senses tingling. Seriously, “Take the mistakes I haven’t made yet”? Tell me this isn’t prepping, 100%.
What are we doing with our prepping if not wanting to let our loved ones down?
I don't want to be the one who lets you down All I did was run myself around I wish I could have seen through your eyes Maybe then I would have realized I'm the only one who's bleeding
“I’m the only one who’s bleeding.” I’m getting goosebumps here people.
The things I never needed
I like this song and how it relates to the prepper world. You have to force a couple of the pieces into place along the way, but I declare this a decent prepper regret song until someone writes and sings one better.
Will we face this degree of regret from prepping?
Maybe. I can see how that might happen. Can you?
Don’t let the prepper regret happen to you.
Enjoy life along the way.
I’m doing what I enjoy, and we’ve made it a family lifestyle. I don’t mean it’s stuff I like to do, so the wife and kids get dragged into it. People generally know to stay out of the kitchen if I’m canning. But when I’m hiking, biking, camping, outdoor cooking, and even shopping, my kids and grandkids are enjoying a life of preparedness without thinking about it.
The second way, in my opinion, to avoid any prepper regret would be to know when enough is enough. I’m getting pretty close to that stage in our prepping life as far as our prepper pantry. The same goes for most equipment, medical supplies, household supplies, and emergency gear.
That’s the beauty of a preparedness lifestyle. We can always find something to do and more to buy, but what we have is really an investment. At a certain point, we just need to replace things we use. You know, like what the entire world does.
Now, if, in my late 50s, I start moving into that living in the woods or bunker mentality, I’m sure there’d be some prepper regret going on. Big time but my wife would never allow me to run through that dark door.
Then you have to wonder. Will those folks regret going in too deep, or will they regret they never experienced the end of the world? Come on, don’t tell me you haven’t had that same thought. 🤫
Things I Never Needed – The complete lyrics
Take a long, hard look at my face Take away the things I can’t replace Take my heart, go on, take it away I've got nothing to say Take away this sense of regret Take the things I need to forget Take the mistakes I haven't made yet They're all I have left I don't want to be the one who lets you down All I did was run myself around I wish I could have seen through your eyes Maybe then I would have realized I'm the only one who's bleeding For the things I never needed The things I never needed Take a good, long look at yourself Take the weight off everyone else Take the hardest blow that was dealt It's all on your shoulders I don't want to be the one who lets you down All I did was run myself around I wish I could have seen through your eyes Maybe then I would have realized I'm the only one who's bleeding For the things I never needed The things I never needed I don't want to be the one who lets you down All I did was run myself around I wish I could have seen through your eyes Maybe then I would have realized I'm the only one who's bleeding For the things I never needed The things I never needed
The next article will be a little more ‘learny’ with educational preppery stuff. I promise. In the meantime, enjoy the show. You only live once.
Brian
