Years ago, I read a book on survival after the Apocalypse. One of many. I was so scared, I started storing up maize (little bit stupid since maize tends to draw all kinds of ‘goggas’) and tinned food and bottled water and even a fur coat I got from my overseas aunt. Just in case. I didn’t know what to expect. O ja, and then I started collecting seeds. I thought at least, I would be able to plant my own veggie patches after the total whatever happened. AND – I even thought of saving my computer data on discs protected in a special safe – you know, just in case solar bursts destroy and sterilise just about everything on earth.
This was a special book. And if I did n’t pass it on to a friend to read, I would have been able to provide the details here. The process of how a father attempts to track down his daughter after a total disaster, and the people he comes into contact with….
How people change after disaster, the total havoc, the atrocious behavior for survival…
We are increasingly confronted with Apocalypse scenarios on TV. In papers. In movies. Wherever. From meteors striking earth, new ice ages, burning to death due to the declining ozone layer, to eclipse of all technology, to drought, biological warfare, zombies, heaven knows what else (fortunately we don’t have to worry about vampires. According to Twilight, they are mostly, very accommodating…)
I am not saying these issues are something to put aside lightly.
BUT. We are increasingly experiencing the consequences Malthus years ago foretold:
In short – Malthus claimed that eventually, Mother Earth will start fighting back to all the injustices done to Her by Humans (Well, She has done that before).
Drought. Earth Quakes. Tsunamis. Strange and weird illnesses. Plagues (such as centuries ago). And who knows what else. Look, if we continue to mine and use and abuse earth, any-one with a brain cell should know that eventually resources will dry out with repercussions…. Bottom line is then Mother Earth will try and rid Herself of the destructive populations. In this case – us (humans).
What Malthus might have forgotten to add, is that a large [massive] part of the Apocalypse, actually entails human reactions to all these occurrences.
So, now we are struggling with water shortages. Locally (South Africa) we struggle with electricity as well. I am not even going to go towards everything we are struggling with. And I do not expect international communities to understand this. There is vast difference between 1st World countries and developing countries.
And what do we do?
We bitch. And we bitch even more. We blame Koos and Klaas. Sommer Piet en Sarie as well (and after this blogging, I will be probably be blamed too)
I can’t think of anything during the last couple of months I‘ve read (granted, in my own community) where people actually offered solutions.
There are people however, I must add, for example; who occasionally manage to have water – and they post on Facebook to help others. They go out and fill containers to give to who is in need. There are people who take the bread on their table, to feed those without food. And these are not necessarily people with money, or who can afford to share.
What makes them different from the others?
To try and keep this blogging short – what has all this, also, to do with the book I read eons ago?
Scenarios such as water shortage, food shortage, electricity shortage; tend to bring out the worst and the best of people. You can choose whether you want to be part of the problem or part of the solution.
During the Hitler World War, a ground-breaking psychologist, Frankl, developed an Existential/Logo Theory (about human beings) after surviving the concentration camps: Some people rise above the occasion, some people simply go down and become bottom-feeders and/or become part of the perpetrators and abusers. Those with” purpose”, survived and contributed to society. (Purpose, is mostly a choice….)
Personally, I would prefer to rise…. I might not have water, I might not have electricity. I also know that services in South Africa is sorely lacking.
Good luck for changing that. But if you prefer, continue bitching instead of doing something.
And yes, I am terribly frustrated myself. But basically my choice is to bitch and blame and nag about it – while I know nothing is going to change. So I see no reason why I should continue kicking against iron bars. A bit tiresome.
Instead I prefer to look at alternatives. Such as, I can start trying to function on my own – building a water tank, learn how to draw water from dewy plants in the morning…. Get solar panels… use candles… gas… paraffin….a generator …. Whatever.
I have no idea yet. Sometimes survival means living day to day. And then simply DO IT.
Obviously this will take time and effort and some monies as well. It’s the more difficult route. (Or, I can sit back on my lazy ass and keep complaining. The choice between being realistic and entitlement because we think we are ‘supposed’ to have these things…)
So that also means, I might also need my neighbors and friends for insets and support. We just might need to work together.
And what is so bad about that? Is that not the way people survived in the past? Pulling together?
I don’t know…this is just a personal thought…. What do you think?
*Disclaimer: No particular religion forms part of this article.
This was a special book. And if I did n’t pass it on to a friend to read, I would have been able to provide the details here. The process of how a father attempts to track down his daughter after a total disaster, and the people he comes into contact with….
How people change after disaster, the total havoc, the atrocious behavior for survival…
We are increasingly confronted with Apocalypse scenarios on TV. In papers. In movies. Wherever. From meteors striking earth, new ice ages, burning to death due to the declining ozone layer, to eclipse of all technology, to drought, biological warfare, zombies, heaven knows what else (fortunately we don’t have to worry about vampires. According to Twilight, they are mostly, very accommodating…)
I am not saying these issues are something to put aside lightly.
BUT. We are increasingly experiencing the consequences Malthus years ago foretold:
In short – Malthus claimed that eventually, Mother Earth will start fighting back to all the injustices done to Her by Humans (Well, She has done that before).
Drought. Earth Quakes. Tsunamis. Strange and weird illnesses. Plagues (such as centuries ago). And who knows what else. Look, if we continue to mine and use and abuse earth, any-one with a brain cell should know that eventually resources will dry out with repercussions…. Bottom line is then Mother Earth will try and rid Herself of the destructive populations. In this case – us (humans).
What Malthus might have forgotten to add, is that a large [massive] part of the Apocalypse, actually entails human reactions to all these occurrences.
So, now we are struggling with water shortages. Locally (South Africa) we struggle with electricity as well. I am not even going to go towards everything we are struggling with. And I do not expect international communities to understand this. There is vast difference between 1st World countries and developing countries.
And what do we do?
We bitch. And we bitch even more. We blame Koos and Klaas. Sommer Piet en Sarie as well (and after this blogging, I will be probably be blamed too)
I can’t think of anything during the last couple of months I‘ve read (granted, in my own community) where people actually offered solutions.
There are people however, I must add, for example; who occasionally manage to have water – and they post on Facebook to help others. They go out and fill containers to give to who is in need. There are people who take the bread on their table, to feed those without food. And these are not necessarily people with money, or who can afford to share.
What makes them different from the others?
To try and keep this blogging short – what has all this, also, to do with the book I read eons ago?
Scenarios such as water shortage, food shortage, electricity shortage; tend to bring out the worst and the best of people. You can choose whether you want to be part of the problem or part of the solution.
During the Hitler World War, a ground-breaking psychologist, Frankl, developed an Existential/Logo Theory (about human beings) after surviving the concentration camps: Some people rise above the occasion, some people simply go down and become bottom-feeders and/or become part of the perpetrators and abusers. Those with” purpose”, survived and contributed to society. (Purpose, is mostly a choice….)
Personally, I would prefer to rise…. I might not have water, I might not have electricity. I also know that services in South Africa is sorely lacking.
Good luck for changing that. But if you prefer, continue bitching instead of doing something.
And yes, I am terribly frustrated myself. But basically my choice is to bitch and blame and nag about it – while I know nothing is going to change. So I see no reason why I should continue kicking against iron bars. A bit tiresome.
Instead I prefer to look at alternatives. Such as, I can start trying to function on my own – building a water tank, learn how to draw water from dewy plants in the morning…. Get solar panels… use candles… gas… paraffin….a generator …. Whatever.
I have no idea yet. Sometimes survival means living day to day. And then simply DO IT.
Obviously this will take time and effort and some monies as well. It’s the more difficult route. (Or, I can sit back on my lazy ass and keep complaining. The choice between being realistic and entitlement because we think we are ‘supposed’ to have these things…)
So that also means, I might also need my neighbors and friends for insets and support. We just might need to work together.
And what is so bad about that? Is that not the way people survived in the past? Pulling together?
I don’t know…this is just a personal thought…. What do you think?
*Disclaimer: No particular religion forms part of this article.
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