Tired of Waiting

[s0cks]

Hey all,

Is anyone else tired of waiting?

I've been reading about imminent collapse for a long time now. Since 2005 infact. 5yrs. Back then people on these forums and others were speaking of collapse just around the corner (as early as 2006). A lot (including myself) didn't expect even semi-normality by 2010, yet here we are, and I wouldn't be at all surprised if we make it to 2011, 2012, or beyond.

Don't get me wrong, I understand limits and all, and that eventually (one day) it must come to an end barring some miracle like an alien race visiting and giving us advanced technologies (hah!). But you know, these are the so called best years of my life. 20-30yrs of age (turn 25 in a few weeks). While I should be out partying, I've given up on that, and a lot of hobbies. Like cars, travelling, buying cool gadgets, musical aspirations, etc...

I'm starting to worry that I'll hit 30, in 2015, and there will still be BAU. I'll have basically wasted away the best years, sitting in my chair reading doomer forums, and trying to learn to grow vegetables (which doesn't interest me at all in the slightest, even though I know I really should learn). Even though I know how bad and unsustainable civilization is, I kind of miss living in it at full blast. Sure I still have some nice toys, like my computer, but I pretty much live the quiet life now. Sigh.

How's everyone else going?

[haggismudpie]

Surely you aren't disappointed by the fact that you're not suffering enough yet?  You may have missed a party or two, but are we supposed to feel sorry for you?

[haggismudpie]

Okay, that was mean of me.  Consider that the so-called (as you put it) best years of your life may not be 20-30.  The good stuff for you might come in a different decade. Ask some elders when they found their joy.

[s0cks]

A bit harsh? Hmmm.

I don't expect anyone to feel sorry for me. That would just be weird. Just wondering how people who have also been reading this stuff for a long time are going?

Don't get me wrong, I don't want suffering. But I do start wondering if I (or we) should live a little before we all do. Within reason.

[Broil]

Go have some damn fun, for chrissake.  Party while you still can!  Just don't spend huge amount of money on partying, go out at night with a limited amount of cash.  Buy cool manual gadgets.  Have musical aspirations for instruments that don't need to be plugged in.

You most definitely should NOT waste your best years on stashing more and more pinto beans and rice ..... a few bags every now and then should be fine.  Prep a little at a time, don't throw everything into it.  These survivalist and preparedness forums have ALWAYS had dire predictions of imminent doom, since before this millenium.  And before that there were the religious nuts always predicting the end of the world.

Simply shift your hobbies and interests a little more in the direction of things that will work out in a lower tech world, more localized, fewer choices, less reliable electricity etc.  Learn a trade that will be useful in that kind of world, such as undertaker.    

[zeusij]

Hey all,

Is anyone else tired of waiting?

I've been reading about imminent collapse for a long time now. Since 2005 infact. 5yrs. Back then people on these forums and others were speaking of collapse just around the corner (as early as 2006). A lot (including myself) didn't expect even semi-normality by 2010, yet here we are, and I wouldn't be at all surprised if we make it to 2011, 2012, or beyond.

Don't get me wrong, I understand limits and all, and that eventually (one day) it must come to an end barring some miracle like an alien race visiting and giving us advanced technologies (hah!). But you know, these are the so called best years of my life. 20-30yrs of age (turn 25 in a few weeks). While I should be out partying, I've given up on that, and a lot of hobbies. Like cars, travelling, buying cool gadgets, musical aspirations, etc...

I'm starting to worry that I'll hit 30, in 2015, and there will still be BAU. I'll have basically wasted away the best years, sitting in my chair reading doomer forums, and trying to learn to grow vegetables (which doesn't interest me at all in the slightest, even though I know I really should learn). Even though I know how bad and unsustainable civilization is, I kind of miss living in it at full blast. Sure I still have some nice toys, like my computer, but I pretty much live the quiet life now. Sigh.

How's everyone else going?

I feel the same way. However, I have been following the timelines and map of Michael Ruppert and he has been dead on in a lot of his predictions even before the economy started turning down. This gives me reassurrance that I have made the right choices and that a lot of these predictions are going to prove right give or take some years. I have pretty much evolved what exactly I want out of life based on this. And I find myself hoping that I'm not making the wrong decisions like you. I find it terrible to hope for doom at the same time. 

[Chesyre]

nope , got ahold of focanelli , velikovsky and others real early .  so waiting for decades , its just background noise like the fridge . in short a day at a time doom will get here mostly because the chimp bloods believe it will , the power of collective stupidity is a mighty force.   just another day watching the shitflingers drone along through their meaningless existences, this age has few redeeeming qualities anyways. other than pastrami and coffee,  when last day  comes. there will be a plethora of soylent pork snacks , bobbing along merrily above the remains of their drowned civilization.  in the end the sharks and ravens will feast as always 

[greenmom]

Hey s0cks,

The whole" doom is eminent" meme has been around as long as there have been people, like Broil says.  You must not waste your youth sitting in front of the computer.  You need to have fun and experiences, before you get too set in your ways.  If you don't do this when you are young it is bad for your mind, it limits brain development and the ability to learn new things.

I was recently watching a TV show from the late 1970's, Barney Miller, a sitcom located in a police station in New York City, still very funny.  The best thing about this show is that it was very topical, addressing many issues that were controversial at the time with a subtle humor like the bankruptcy of New York City, gas prices, nuclear war, inflation, the military, protests and civil rights.  Brings back memories from when I was a kid. The most recent show that I saw had a wife coming in to complain that her husband was selling all their belongings and cashing out their savings to invest in gold.  He was afraid the world financial system was on the verge of collapse and they would be destitute unless they had gold.  The point is you have to remember that people have been claiming there is going to be a big crash in whatever time they live in.  The future is always uncertain, so don't sweat the doom stuff so much that you forget to have a life.

Broil's advice is very good.  I would add get a good education, read real books!, travel and don't go into debt.  Don't waste your mind and body getting high on toxic or metabolic poisons.  It causes brain damage.  We can't afford that any more as there are so many environmental toxins that impact mental functions.  You need all your brain cells.  Plus you have no idea of the environmental damage from the production of such things.  Travel to some of the National Parks, to see the natural world in at least a shadow of what it once was.

Learn to cook from scratch, especially vegetable dishes and baking breads, not because you should be a vegetarian, but to learn about the wide variety of foods that are edible and very tasty if prepared correctly.  Get an old cookbook like the Farm Journal's America's Best Vegetable Recipes, or an old Settlement Cookbook.  Then you will understand why and be more enthused about growing vegetables.  If you don't have room for a garden or are not interested, try growing fresh herbs in containers to use when you cook.  Rosemary, sage, parsley, thyme and oregano would add a surprising amount of variety to your cooking. If you like tomatoes, grow one in pot, saves you money and will taste better, too.  Those things don't take much work.

Learn to play a musical instrument!

Don't get me wrong, I am very worried about our future.  As an environmental scientist, I know how much damage has been done to our world.  It scares me for the future generations.  

Just do a little prep, learn some new skills, do some good in the world, don't add to the mess we have too much and enjoy yourself.  That is the best anyone can do.

[hillwalker]

Last sunday, it was a restful and sunny and finally more or less warm later winter/early spring day.
I was out doing 'stuff' and the mrs was up at her place. I called on the phone, she was SLEEPING
at 1 in the afternoon. Right out on the futon.

Snow still covers the garden, the cats were napping in the sunlight coming through the finally open shades.

take that nap while you can. Enjoy that restful and peaceful afternoon while you can. The time will
come when there is other stuff to take care of. Count on it. So, when you have some extra time,
savor  and enjoy it. Be grateful.

Stay clear of debt, don't buy into the 'duty now for the future' horseshit that is the daily grind.
take work that makes sense, and take the time to enjoy being alive.
Keep your footprints small, take only what you need, give what you can.

Doom is imminent. Wise folks from all ages have pretty much always said, live this day as it
were your last. Even if BAU lasts another 10 or even 20 years, what do you care? The longer
it goes on, the harder the fall, and that's a big shame. I think Derrick Jensen is right on this
front also.

[Bill Hicks (aka Ian Curtis)]

I wish I had a (silver) dollar for every time this same topic has been posted on LATOC.   


Seriously, sOcks, nobody knows how much time we have until the shit starts getting serious.  Personally, I'll bet it will be a few more years yet.  If you are still employed, follow hillwalker's advice and enjoy the last days of the empire as best you can.  When the collapse finally comes I suspect you'll be too busy trying to survive day-to-day to worry about anything else. 

[Deckard1973]

I live a foot in each world.  

One The Doomer Foot.  Learning skills sets, living kinda frugal, limit the debt load, maintain doom situational awareness, dont get sucked into the Fast Food Nation Consumer Zombie, exercise.

Two The Regular Foot:  Buy a book you like, enjoy a coffee, dine out at a fine restaurant (but do so with the thought this might be your last time), go to the museum, get a six pack of a good beer and watch a mindless Hollywood movie.  

[s0cks]

Thanks guys.

Don't worry, I'm debt free, which is great. I want to learn to be more sustainable, but with work I just feel so drained at the end of each day that I really cannot be bothered. Perhaps I should be using my weekends more wisely. I play guitar and have a band, which is great fun, but I don't have the same passion as the other members, as I'm all too aware of the future. As I'm the songwriter and basic driver of the band, I feel bad for the others as I know they really want this to be their ticket out of here - if you know what I mean.

Sometimes I wish I was born 20 years earlier, at least then I could have enjoyed my youth and settled down into doomerism at a later age.

I currently live with the parents, as work is only a mile down the road and its a new house with big rooms, it seems stupid to pay more to live elsewhere in this small town. The only thing is my father is a real doomer. Completely and utterly tranced on living a new sustainable way of life outside of current society. Obviously this is probably the right way of thinking, but its a little too heavy for me. Asking me to basically give up everything I enjoy - music (of the electric variety), computers & videogames, overseas travel & holidays, etc... Considering this is all I was brought up on in the last 25 years, and basically everything I enjoy to do (and my career is aimed towards), its a damned hard pill to swallow. I'm pretty sure he'd turn off the electricity if the rest of the family let him. I just don't buy that a hard working and simple life is all that satisfying and enjoyable. I think it depends a lot on what sort of person you are and how you've been brought up.

Oh well.

[zeusij]

Don't worry, I'm debt free, which is great. I want to learn to be more sustainable, but with work I just feel so drained at the end of each day that I really cannot be bothered. Perhaps I should be using my weekends more wisely. I play guitar and have a band, which is great fun, but I don't have the same passion as the other members, as I'm all too aware of the future. As I'm the songwriter and basic driver of the band, I feel bad for the others as I know they really want this to be their ticket out of here - if you know what I mean.
I currently live with the parents

We have a lot in common socks. My job leaves me drained most days too (I currently have a gf who is making me step it up and do diff. projects after work... but 4 hrs just isn't enough time ya know?). I currently live with my mother and have decided I have saved enough money to switch to part time and start enjoying the extra time for other needed things. I also play music and have a band. I once felt I had lost some of the passion as the other members because of the exact same reasons. But, music is such a great escape for me. I no longer play and practice to get my "ticket out of here", I play now because I love it. I would recommend you enjoy playing it while you can, get gigs and enjoy them because they will probably not be there in the future. Hopefully music will play a large part of everyone's life in the years to come. Carry that with you. Brighten others with music.

[s0cks]

Don't worry, I'm debt free, which is great. I want to learn to be more sustainable, but with work I just feel so drained at the end of each day that I really cannot be bothered. Perhaps I should be using my weekends more wisely. I play guitar and have a band, which is great fun, but I don't have the same passion as the other members, as I'm all too aware of the future. As I'm the songwriter and basic driver of the band, I feel bad for the others as I know they really want this to be their ticket out of here - if you know what I mean.
I currently live with the parents

We have a lot in common socks. My job leaves me drained most days too (I currently have a gf who is making me step it up and do diff. projects after work... but 4 hrs just isn't enough time ya know?). I currently live with my mother and have decided I have saved enough money to switch to part time and start enjoying the extra time for other needed things. I also play music and have a band. I once felt I had lost some of the passion as the other members because of the exact same reasons. But, music is such a great escape for me. I no longer play and practice to get my "ticket out of here", I play now because I love it. I would recommend you enjoy playing it while you can, get gigs and enjoy them because they will probably not be there in the future. Hopefully music will play a large part of everyone's life in the years to come. Carry that with you. Brighten others with music.

Sounds like we do! And yeh, I enjoy playing for love of playing now. It's hard to find gigs where I am though, so it's a little depressing, but we'll see. I've also thought about moving to part time work. The problem is I work in a v. small company with gr8 people and I'd feel really bad leaving them in the lurch. I'm all too well aware that people with my skills are extremely rare in this town - and so is the job I have! I would definitely have to work some dead end job if I went part-time. But yeh, I could afford to.

[Broil]

We might experience a time of transition when people can't pay for musicians, but even then you could at least play for food at weddings or whatever .... those will still go on ...... and there will always be some rich people who have prepared and who will pay for live music.

No reason you couldn't learn to play a regular guitar along with the electric.  Most musicians I've known have done that anyway.