I’m still brooding over the “collapse of civilization” idea. I don’t think it will happen in my lifetime. And I would say that the chances of it happening by the year 2100 are between 5 and 10 percent. But it still is kind of “mind-blowing” to think there’s a possibility that humankind could experience a combined economic, social and population collapse that could take us back perhaps to the year 1700. (I thought that threat passed with the end of the Cold War. Guess not.)
Within the past 10 years, here in the USA we’ve seen a fair amount of calamity and negativity, including: Hurricane Katrina; Nine-Eleven; the Gulf Oil Spill; the Health Care Crisis; Political Gridlock; the new “Angry at the Government” movement in the US, i.e. the Tea Party; a Housing Market Collapse that became a Financial System Collapse; destruction of 2 of 5 US Manned Spaceships; and an on-going Middle Eastern War. That’s a lot of drag on the system. Not enough to break us, but . . .
Nonetheless, I think it’s time for me to take a break. So I’m posting two nice shots that I took many years ago, somewhere along the Atlantic Ocean, somewhere in Connecticut or Massachusetts. It’s time to just enjoy the moment, while we still have it.
Jim, I 100% agree with you that we should take some time to enjoy the here and now.
I wonder what good purpose is served by worrying about the “collapse of civilization”
100 years from now. As I learned recently through hard experience, one’s life can
change massively in an instant–or what seems like an instant (all right maybe in a
couple of hours). Suddenly, one gets another perspective on long-term worry–or even
short-term worry about this or that.
After that experience, once again the saying, “sufficient for the day is the evil
thereof” comes to mind. There is something definitely to be gained by enjoying what
one can in life; and dealing with the problems that arise when they arise and not sooner.
Then too, if one feels an obligation to “worry”, I say why not send a good thought the
way of the “problem” or whatever one’s version of a “prayer” might be. Can’t hurt, can it?
Then too, it just might help.
MCS
Comment by MCS — June 13, 2010 @ 5:53 pm
thank you for the photos, jim… this is the second uplifting visual today… the first was a simple sheep drawn for me by a facebook friend at my request: “dessine-moi un mouton?” a quote from the little prince by st. exupery… now this… lovely start to my day… thank you again… yes we do need to quieten down and sense the beauty around us more… before it all disappears….
Comment by spunkykitty — June 13, 2010 @ 8:43 pm