Very interesting thoughts damon. I agree. I also personally find it hard to find like minded people in my area. Then there is the aspect of trust. I see the need to try to network but also tend to be very guarded about what I know and what I have. I also would expect the people that I will want to work with would be the same. So it's a bit of a conundrum.
I hear you and I think that you are right-on when you talk about the balance between looking for like-minded folk, and being rather closed about one's own worldview and corresponding activities. I guess what I am getting at is maybe we should take a bit more of a chance, look for tangential topics of conversation that are still acceptable in polite conversation but can very easily drop hints to the like-minded. Given that you live in Michigan, I would think fishing and hunting (maybe even re-loading) are ok jump off points, vegetable gardening and making one's own bread are even a step down from there in "offensiveness." Ham radio, Beekeeping even backpacking/camping...the list can go on and on. And that is just in the activities. When it comes to worldview/morality conservative churches/synagogues (or if you are able, the American Legion/VFW) are also great places to meet people who understand the value of family, commitment, and history. Just saying, the greatest force-multiplier is not the extra gun in your pack, it is the extra gun in the hands of your buddy next to you.