A memory of Y2K

It was about close to this time 10 years ago that the whole of America was starting to become aware and gripped with the fear of Y2K and all the scare mongering stories of planes will fall out of the sky and other such hysteria propagated by Mass Media which would later become known as Main Stream Media. Oddly enough that term I first recall hearing from Rush Limbaugh as in “the Liberal Main Stream Media.”

I was working at the time as a gas station attendant at one of those rare stations that still would pump the gas in addition to self serve. One day a little old lady that was in her 80's struck up a conversation about how she was afraid of Y2K and all the horrors that were to come once the grid was down.

I told her that I was hoping that it would indeed happen and be a thousand times worse than what they were saying. Needless to say she was quite aghast because she saw my position as one of hoping for society to break down and millions to die, herself included.

So I had to explain myself. I said that first of all, I would be scheduled to work on January 1, 2000. So if all the lights were out, I would take some money and go to Wal-Mart or the hardware store (whichever was open) and buy a 5 gallon bucket, two 50' hoses, a good metal funnel with a flexible spout and a hand cranked siphon pump. Connect the hoses to the pump and tranfer the gas in the tanks to the bucket and use the funnel to fill up cars. Of course I would charge about $25 for 5 gallons and ration people to 5 gallon purchases to save fuel, but gas would be available.

She asked me directly about the people that would die. I said ,“Oh, them. Well that is a different situation...let them die.” Her look said she really needed to know why I said that or that I was a far worse monster than Hitler on a bad day. Hard to say which.

I said, “God forbid if you were walking around Hueston Woods and you fell and broke your leg. Would you lay there and wait for someone to find you or would you try to crawl out to get help?” She said that she would crawl out. I said, “And there is the difference. Most people my age would lay there until they died waiting to be found and rescued.” Then I added, “Not to offend, but given your age and having grown up during the effects of the depression, I am sure you know about salting and smoking meat to preserve it without refrigeration.” She nodded, “Yes we did that on my Uncle's farm all the time.” “Well you see there,” I said, “I only have an idea of how to go about it. And I could be completely wrong. Sure I could take down a deer and halfway butcher it. But I only have a day or two to eat it. Many would be in the same boat. I bet they would be willing to trade some meat for preservation. The extra meat you had you could trade for vegetables and so on.” She smiled as she understood. “So for me, Y2K would simply be a means of clearing out the deadwood,” I concluded.

I guess the moral would be that so long as you keep trying the only way that the world is going to end is if you give up trying and accept death. Funny how here we are 10 years in the future and people have been buying guns and supplies like it is the end of the world. I am not saying to not be prepared for situations and events that may or may not occur. But no matter what you hear in the form of scare tactics and fear mongering, the government is not known for giving people a huge heads up...it is the things that they barely mention that you need to keep an eye on.