something to talk about.

alright, here's a hypothetical scenario i'd like you to imagine. yes, you. it will take no more than fifteen minutes of your time, probably less than ten. so put on your favourite ambient or contemplative album, and explore a plausible, but not definite, possibility. granted, the plausibility level of this scenario goes up if you are capable of imagining that you're living as a member of future generations. but if you insist on being you, so be it. you'll just have to pretend what i'm about to describe is real, which, judging by today's "reality tv" content, shouldn't be too difficult.


you wake to neighbourhood cries, which seem to be coming from everywhere. confused, you turn on your television. there's a terrible infomercial on the screen... you fell asleep watching the shopping channel again. after a moment of orientation, you realize that what appears to be a knife with three vibrating blades, could not possibly be reason for all this commotion.

changing the channel, you're instantly bombarded with fast scrolling headlines and flashing news updates. through what can only be described as syndicated chaos, four words instinctually pop out from all the mess: END OF THE WORLD!... commence phase one of this scenario. what's you're initial reaction? seriously. turn off you tv, and on the black screen imagine reading that headline, but not in any possible media/marketing gimmick sense. instead, in the truest use of these words, ever. what is your first thought? it doesn't matter how you answer... yet, because at this exact moment you're body & mind would probably be paralyzed by instinct.

so the apocalypse is imminent and, surprise surprise, it's not four archaic, christian dudes on horseback. instead it's something much more tangible, and essentially believable. i always like to fantasize that for some reason the moon begins to draw nearer to earth, leading to an eventual collision... but seeing as i just gave the followers of christ, shit, i'll go with something even more believable. a cosmic disaster hollywood has made millions ($) from: meteor strike!

now, let's be somewhat hopeful and imagine a bit of cosmic mercy for homo sapiens, not that we necessarily deserve it, but for the purposes of this scenario. let's say, fifteen years before it's estimated impact, most leading world governments have discovered but not shared, this looming catastrophe. the sporadic leaks by various sources are covered up, or smeared to detach validity, and economies keeping humming. i'm not a political expert, but i would imagine most of the preliminary plans put in place during this period, would not include the vast majority of not only our human populous, but very little of all life currently on the planet. still love capitalism? if you, and your family, and your friends and your friends' family have the money, or maybe just the status, you could be fortunate enough to qualify for inclusion in the very select, early stages of operation salvation. but i wouldn't sit comfortably just yet. for starters, if you find yourself in this position and you know any other person that isn't, don't expect a lot courtesies when they're inescapably informed. not that this need bother you, shit, you will survive! ...or will you?

regardless of government plans, ten years before impact the story breaks, and the evidence is undeniable. this is the very morning you've awoke to. breaking news of direct, indisputable proof that this world will cease to exist. wishing you would have watched that triple-bladed knife ad, just a little longer? for a large number of people, it's around this point that god enters, either as a question, or sense of faith. being an atheist, i'm not entirely sure how most would experience or express this situation. obviously there are extremes, such as abandoning god or handing yourself over to it (them). but i am not equipped with the tools of blind faith, and do not qualify to truly speculate on the minds of superstitious believers. *as a disclaimer, if you know for certain that you are someone who will simply "give their self to god", you probably won't be interested in the rest of this post's contents. sorry if i've wasted your time and i wish you all the best. you're crazy religious antics will not be forgotten, as survivors set off to write a brand new chapter in history. instead, your zany acts would make wonderful bedtime stories, and colourful rhymes for children, as they adjust to life in space.

for those of you still with me, welcome to phase two of this scenario, or how i stopped worrying and learned to adapt. sometime after worldwide realization, a key series of events will unfold, resulting in the single largest revolt ever. this globalized revolution will be strongly defined by the previously mentioned series of events, and will serve as a potential final test for humanity. picture how you believe the world will react, and how the ensuing revolt(s) would ravel. can you imagine peaceful, rational & intelligent considerations, or are you bound to accept the doom of humans, and the fall of earth & all known life.

bringing us to this scenario's third and final phase: zero hour. at the moment life on the planet is extinguished, there will only be two possible outcomes. either some life managed to escape oblivion, or it all went down together. which would you rather have invested your time and faith in? which would you rather fight for, even if it meant dying a little before everything else? that being said, a fight fueled by ignorance will only lead to failure, and in all likelihood the end of human history (most especially under these circumstances).

as an alternative, we could begin to educate more vigorously, weeding out ignorance before we're forced to confront it on a global scale, with apocalyptic consequences. a lot of sacrifice will be necessary, but the majority of it will only be required from our apparently precious time. from this day forward i purpose that a new and singular divide be made, for us humans to cling to until we realize we don't need to divide things. this separation is to be made between survivalists and nihilists. let's be honest now, if you believe there is something better waiting for you in a mystical realm, than to be a part of the life which is capable of imagining such a fantasy, you are first abundantly naive and second ignorantly nihilistic. life becomes meaningless if it has no home, no matter what imaginary creator you hope to spend an afterlife with.

can we please stop tolerating extreme ignorance now? i'd like to know some remnants of life could have the opportunity of post earth survival, and that world war three won't be something my grandchildren have to live through... or worse, die as a result of. instead, let's send our story here...