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Originally posted by samstone11
reply to post by wondermost
" reducing the Dec. 21st of Dec to nothing but a historical footnote. "
Originally posted by samstone11
I believe it is safe to say most of the readers of this post were alive to experience the Y2K drama. As I personally recall, there wasn’t much concern about the world completely imploding, but it was generally feared our technology was about to be toast.
Extending that degree of perspective hyperbole, for better or worse, we are:
• In surviving Y2K, we were here as the calendar put three zeros behind the front number for the first time in 1,000 years
• Experiencing the historic first presidency of a black person in America,
• Witnessing the proliferation and ubiquitous presence of the internet/world wide web,
• Witnessing an explosion of other technological wonders from the microwave oven to the LHC and everything between
• Less than 50 years from the first step on the moon (or so we have been told)
• Possibly the first generation to witness travel to other planets
• Unfortunately, one of the first generations in human history with the tools to exact self-imposed extinction upon ourselves
• Present as the world’s population passes the 7 BILLION mark
• Only a bit past the second deadliest earthquake on record which occurred in Haiti in 2010
• Feel free to insert your favorite additional trivia here…..
I have not been able to fully accept the gloom and doom of Dec. 21 beyond whatever we create ourselves through the act of self-fulfilling prophecy. I have no doubt that whether the world ends or not, there will be some pretty ugly things going on up to and including that day as we sprint to cross the line in the sand. We don’t have to be psychic to see the potential for a lot of damage done in such a manner.
My point is, isn’t it kind of neat to be here when such a grand anniversary passes for the Mayan people? They were masters at their craft and regardless of the full, true meaning of this date, it is incredibly significant. In fact, given a generous average lifespan over the last 5,000 years of roughly 40, then this only happens once in every 125 life spans, but in actuality only once in every 500 - 20 year generations!!!
Hopefully nothing extinction level will happen on the 21st, but most of us won’t be in a position to stop it regardless. So, is it possible to step back and appreciate it for the historical value alone and hope for the best?
Just a rambling thought…….thankfully my brain only works like this if I’m awake or asleep.
Originally posted by samstone11
reply to post by schuyler
Your grandmother gets first prize. Every once in a while, we read about a centenarian, but IMO it is impossible to see the world through their eyes. As a young adult at 20 years old, what did she know about what to expect at 30, 50, 90, etc? As fast as it all went by it may have become a blur, but WOW!!!
So, if Dec. 21 is a "dud" and we live to be 100, do you think the world will change at all in the next 50 or so years (he said sarcastically)?
Originally posted by wondermost
I remember being a very young kid(between 10 and 12) and listening wild eyed while my best friends older brother told us about the small group of men that controlled the world, ghosts, aliens, and the mayan end date of december the 21st 2012. After we had this typical older brother scare-fest my best friend and i continued to discuss the matter. I did the math and realized i would be thirty years old when our terrible fate fell upon us, and i thought to myself "thirty years old is old enough! I won't care if it ends that year! We will have a huge party for sure!"
I sit here typing this and can't believe i am thirty years old, and that "fatefull" day is just nine days away. Being happily married to a beautiful, wonderful woman who happens to truly be my best friend definitely changes my "care" for if it all goes south in just over a week.
I am thankful for holding on to that memory, as it is somewhat of a mile marker on how far i have come in my life, and how much further i would like to travel, if I am lucky enough.
And now the floodgates of my memory have opened. I absolutely love peering back through my short, yet full consciousness.
Originally posted by mypan
I wish everybody goodluck on 21-12-2012.
We are also the generation privileged to witness the use of steel-melting kerosene and [insert whatever you want].
All the best !!!