Life as We Know It

I attended a presentation the other night that, if I let it, would scare me, a lot.

Imagine a "crash" - oft predicted nowadays. Where the monetary system collapses, then the governments collapse. No sewage systems, no water, no gasoline, no grocery stores. How does one survive?

The presenter had some pretty impressive credentials, before he quit his career ten years ago to begin the development of a self-sustained community not too many miles from here. The community will not be dependent on anything but itself for utilities, food, jobs. A new economy will be developed. I'm waiting for this man to write a book, but he thinks he will not have time for the book or the finishing of the community. He thinks possibly this crash will come within a year's time. Maybe. Maybe not.

At any rate, we are ordering the list of books he recommended - on how to grow food in small areas with little water, how to recycle rain water, (our neighbors with the cute kids are working on this), how to compost and properly and santitarily dispose of human waste, how to take care of your own private sewer system when lift stations collapse (you don't want it draining back into your own home, along with everyone's elses' waste), and other pertinent information for survival. He believes we can form neighborhood coops. He describes the shock many will be in if they don't at least think about this possibility before it happens.

No one wants to hear this. I surely don't. But my common sense tells me that all the signs are there, at least in the U.S., of pending collapse. We have sent most of our jobs overseas...many people are desperate NOW with no jobs to be had,, homelessness is higher than it has been since the "Great Depression." Even "H" has decided we need to get the books and begin the gardens and the composting and learn how to gather our rain water. We live close to the water, but salinized water isn't good to drink.

I also think perhaps a rifle and a shotgun and a guard dog would also be some good items to add to the list of survival "musts." (Although wildlife here of any size is limited to alligators - the deer are little dog-like creatures.) There is lots beautiful, but contaminated water bodies that produce beautiful and contaminated fish, however.

He didn't mention guns - the soaring crime rate here as the economy worsens doesn't indicate that ALL people would come together in a cooperative effort to sustain life.

I imagined an "end of the world" scenario, but I thought, no, it would only be an end of the world as we know it in this affluential country. Other people groups live exactly as I mention above - no proper sewage disposal, desperate for water, no jobs, thus no income...

So, all these thoughts go through my mind. Then I wonder - why did God put us here? Is it to prepare for an eternal life on a different level? There has to be a purpose - I don't believe in accidental existance or accidental anything for that matter. And I wonder, have I fallen down in my responsibility to my fellow man in not helping more with the resources I have and learning to live more simply myself? Again, its the question of purpose. I refuse to just exist, there has to be reason.

I started taking Melatonin so I would quit waking up four hours after I went to bed and I find at least the thoughts stop at night, except for dreams. Last night I dreamed we were at some beautiful highrise condos on the beach. Everyone was playing in the water, boats and yachts were pulled up to the docks - people were even jumping from the condo into the water to play. I was afraid that grandson would try to jump. It was extraordinarily beautiful. But it wasn't mine.

In some ways I can see advantages to a crash sceanario - we would not have to worry about drinking pure water - any water would be appreciated, or being poisoned by industrial waste - no industry, or contaminated food - we would be glad to be able to eat food. No worry about anti-aging - when we got older and slower and sicker we'd just die. Our current system, especialy employment, has indicated it doesn't want our wisdom and experience anyway. A crash would soon leave the young to survive and rebuild, if rebuilding would be possible.

I just happened to read what was on the label of a tube of toothpaste - the words, "if swallowed, call medical help or your poison center." Companies are purposefully sending out poisoned food to old folks' homes and school lunches with impunity. The company here that knowingly sent contaminated peanut butter out should be closed and all the executives and testers jailed, along with others that knew about it. What about moral responsibility? Perhaps it has only existed for the few.