A few weeks ago, I was a guest a dinner party that was supposed to be celebrating a “50th” birthday of a friend of mine. The dinner was wonderful, and for the most part, the company was animated and refreshing. Everyone was relaxed and having a good time, until one of the guests decided to take on the role of “party annihilator”.
I don’t even know how it started, but I think someone made a joke about the economy. Well, this one joke caused this one guy to go into this freaky rant about the upcoming end of the world, which as we all know (unless you don’t have a TV in your home), is coming on December 21, 2012.
Let me just say this, if 2012 is the end of the world and so many people believe this to be, why is anyone still worried about the financial crisis? Hell, if it is the end of the world, everyone go out and charge up a storm because no one is going to be around to give a hoot if you pay anything back whether you have an 800 or 300 credit score.
Personally, if December 21, 2012 is the end, I plan on going out on my front porch and breathing deeply. I do not have that “let me re-create the world survivor instinct”. Truthfully, I probably don’t have the ovaries to re-populate the world anymore, so my stock value in the whole rebuilding the planet scenario is minimal at best. I also do not possess the survivor skills that one might need in this doomsday environment. I am not even a good camper. I failed that badge in the Girl Scouts. I cannot imagine how bad I would be at digging through obliterated cities looking for morsels of food and clean water. I am not a pampered princess, but I do need some basic necessities to live: food, water, soft toilet paper, an internet connection and caffeine.
If these necessities are not going to be available, I might as well run into the explosion or tornado or earthquake or whatever is coming and kiss this life goodbye. I am hoping that God is as merciful as I have been taught and He says, “Come on in, you’ve made it to heaven!” If that is the case, then beam me up because heaven has got to be a lot better than chewing open cans of beans or cat food and dining on this fare after the disaster.
I have a very naïve theory on 2012. I think that the Mayan priests and scholars just stopped keeping track. Maybe they got bored of working out the calendars for so many centuries ahead. Maybe, they decided to take a coffee break or vacation and never went back to finishing them, or maybe one priest said to the other.
“We went through most of 2012. That’s enough. Who is even going to remember us by then? I am sure they will have a more sophisticated method of timekeeping by the time that date rolls around. They can finish the calendar themselves. Let’s go get a drink instead.”
Who knows what will be? The thing is we waste so much time worrying about stuff that might never become a factor in our lives. Our job on this planet, now, is to take care of each other and make our present lives better so that our children’s lives will be better and so on. Maybe the end of the world is around the corner or maybe there isn’t an end.
We cannot control what happens in 2012 or tomorrow. We are guaranteed today, so find your joy, live your life and learn to laugh. The rest is out of our hands.
| 
Email this Essay
| 
Add to reading list
