What Y2k is Good For

Y2k has been a very valuable experience for me so far.

First, it has helped me to cut off my shopping habit, save a lot of money, make my life much more convenient because I only have to shop occaisionally, and gotten me back in touch with a simpler and healthier way of life.

Secondly, it has provided an opportunity to look at how we live in the world. What level of technology do I really want here in my home? We dont watch TV anymore (who has time?) but I enjoy learning and doing many skilled activities from needlepoint to making a grain mill hopper from ductwork and clamps.

Thirdly, once one sees the interconnectedness of everything in our society from infrastructure to oil to the food producing chain, it is then easy to step over and see other issues and problems that I ignored for years; global warming, pollution, moral decay, how our consumer culture has been destroying every indiginous or traditional culture it contacts in order to turn human beings into consumers. The corruption of our government, as exemplified in the loss of our nuclear secrets to China and the trivialization of real problems by throwing out the red herring of Monica Lewinsky are other examples.

In short, it has been an education. Thank you to the many posters here who have helped in this process.

As to pollies and trolls, they are in the excruciating position of knowing that if even one tenth of this stuff is true, there are so many changes that will come down that we will all have massive change in our life. Denial is caused by pain. These folks cant even say what is wrong, but for their sanity, they think, must defend the status quo. It is very frightening to contemplate the kind of changes that may happen. My guess is that most of us GIs are scared too, but we are trying to do something about it. Facing reality is the considered action of a real adult.

-- seraphima (seraphima@aol.com), October 29, 1999

Answers

What?!?! How DARE you not buy useless crap!? That's the American way, and how dare you think for yourself?! You Must listen to dan rather, no matter what! Freedom is slavery, 2+2=5 now you know! Lies are truth, get that into your head! Ya tinfoil nutcase! You should be ashamed of yourself! Stinkface!

-- y2kPro (201@hotmail.com), October 29, 1999.

I agree with Seraphima. I have learned so much in such a short time. If y2k is a simply another year, I will be sittin here a grinnin on top of my sack of seeds.

-- Carol (glear@usa.net), October 29, 1999.

You are right on with how much we have learned here. I absolutely amaze myself sometimes at what topics I am now able to discuss knowledgeably. All of the above that you mentioned as well as talking BTU outputs, home maintenance, politics (which I never paid any attention to before), philosophy on a global scale. I don't really understand how much I have learned over the last year+ until someone has a question or a discussion and, by golly, I know something about that, and can contribute meaningfully. A small upside, but an upside nonetheless.

-- Sammie (sammiex0@hotmail.com), October 29, 1999.

Aloha Seraphima:

I also agree with you...many of us have learned a great deal and have been implementing much of what we learned. Some already had some preparations (living in a hurricane prone zone will do that for you), but expanded. Others have learned more about self-reliance and about prudent preparation for the unknown. And many of us have embarked on trying a lot of new things...whether it be canning, soap making, chicken raising, gardening, or whatever... We are learning and expanding our horizons.

-- Mad Monk (madmonk@hawaiian.net), October 30, 1999.

Seraphima, So true! I want to thank everyone for the info. If Y2K has done nothing it has made me remember the pantries of my grandmother's and how frugal they were. The lessons they taught me are very needed now. Keep up the good work. It seems as a nation we have been very forgetful of the hard lessons our grandparents learned. Again thanks for the help and support. Just a lurker.

-- m. anderson (looksback@home.com), October 30, 1999.

Iff'n ya want more reasons to prepare, Y2K or not, go here:

http://www.dieoff.org

Cheery news at that site...the domain says it all!

Kook

-- Y2Kook (y2kook@usa.net), October 30, 1999.

Y2K has gotten me motivated to work hard for money and thus have more money to save. I've always been the cheapest SOB that I know and my backpack is the most expensive item I own. (All the things I've bought preparing for next year will be gifts to my folks which I hopefully won't be around to share, as I'd rather be doing volunteer work overseas.) The work this year has also gotten me into better shape (at 33) than I've ever been.

The downside has been an very tiresome/lonely/boring year and constant worry about my friends that are too far away for me to help if problems get really bad.

Not a fair trade-off at all, so I'm a little annoyed at those that started this mess and TPTB for their carelessness in handling it.

-- Gus (y2kk@usa.net), October 30, 1999.

AMEN! I am almost a different person than I was a year ago, and Sammie, I know what you mean. It is nice to know about things I never understood. Never had the motivation! I have MUCH more confidence which started with domestic type stuff, but as everyone knows, confidence has a way of spilling over into the rest of your life!

I once found a book, can't remember the title, but it was by a guy whose wife had died in her 30's from cancer, and the whole book was about how her death made him realize he should live every day/week/month like it might be his last. Sounds depressing on the surface, but he says there is sooooo much less stress, such a better perspective on life that way. He doesn't let little things get to him, he deals with rifts between himself and family members right away instead of letting them fester, etc. Pretty cool. I feel like that's how I have been living in the last year.

Whether it is anything or not, I am glad for how Y2K has affected me already.

I personally think we should start a forum or chatroom for people who are preparing but DON'T want bad stuff to happen. Call ourselves the preparers instead of doomers?

-- preparing (preparing@home.com), October 30, 1999.