...sometimes reality intrudes. Traveled to a wedding in NYC. Hundreds of people. Very densely populated area. While sitting at the table, sipping some gin and watching all those ankle-biters who have almost grown up in to young men and women, the realization hit me. If it really does get bad I can't save more than a small fraction. Even after spending thousands to feed some extra mouths. Luckly I'm a quite drunk.

I have never felt so helpless in my life.

Sometimes it hurts to keep your bleary...

-- eyes_open (best@wishes.net), July 11, 1999

Answers

You are not alone, many on this forum have expressed similar thoughts. The government/media spin gets a lot of the blame as to why people are so unconcerned, as rightly it should.

But, at the same time, I cannot help but wonder if of equal blame is a subconscious belief by the masses that there is really nothing that they can do about what is going to happen, so why try? Y2K preparation definitely requires being able to "think outside the box", and most people are just not able or willing to do this. That's my opinion at this point, anyway, because as we slide into mid-Summer 1999, I can offer no other explanation for such apathy on the part of John Q. Public.

-- Jack (jsprat@eld.net), July 11, 1999.

Know the feeling. Last year's family Christmas gathering wasn't as happy for me as any before. I don't expect we'll be having one this year, I expect events of the day to intrude upon the seasonal festivities. But I still might hazard the trip if they do have one, just for one last look.

Next month we have a trip home for my Grandmother's 95th birthday (on Mom's side of the family). I'm afraid that despite Grandma's current good health, it may well be her last birthday. Along with many more DGI relatives who'll be in attendence. I worry about those who are GI too, but I don't look at it as a foregone conclusion in their case.

The next day we have a family reunion for everyone on my father's side of the family. This years there's only one of my Dad's siblings remaining. I don't know who he'll make it through a severe Y2K crisis, he's on recurring drug therapy for an in-remission cancer. With or without Y2K he's in his eighties, which is very long-lived for our family.

I know everyone in the family could use his knowledge in a Y2K crunch and the aftermath. He was a young adult during the Depression and was in the Battle of the Bulge, while Dad was island-hopping in the Pacific with Mac Aurthur. Uncle Al knows a thing or two about getting through tough times, and in our family he's the last one left.

As we run up to the event, how many more people who know what's up are going to go say last goodbyes? How many more members of the older generation who know how to live under the kinds of circumstances we're liable to see are going to leave this life due to age and disease? How many of us are going to wish we could have one last conversation to learn some lessons from the youthful past of these people?

When I was a kid I thought Dad and everyone else's Depression stories were corny, to say the least. Today I think I'd listen to every one of them ten times over. Including the one where they all had to walk fifteen miles, through snow up to their shoulders, uphill each way, to and from school.

God, how this situation really sucks! In some ways I wish I was a clueless sheeple who won't know what hit him. His hurting is gonna be short and quick. Mine, and I wager most of all the GI's is going on now, just like yours and I don't know if making it through the upcoming mess is gonna help end that hurt for a long time to come.

Since I don't partake anymore (doctor's orders)and you're drinking gin, have a Tom Collins for me. Maybe you can dull the hurt for a while.

WW, tonight a kinda bummed Weasel

-- Wildweasel (vtmldm@epix.net), July 11, 1999.

Wildweasel:

Thank you for your thoughtful words.

I'm viewing this year as the last regular year of my lifetime. Month by month has gone by somewhat normally.

GIs are fretting and preparing, DGIs still don't have a clue, and the stock market is aiming for the stratosphere. Then the bubble will burst unexpectedly, and the masses will panic.

I think a lot of old people, the ones having lived through the Depression, will perish, not because of their lack of wisdom and resourcefulness, but simply because their bodies have aged, their reflexes are slower, their strength is lessening, and other infirmities, some being managed by doses of multiple medications, are great burdens upon their constitutions.

We can't save everybody, and knowing this causes sorrow.

-- Randolph (dinosaur@williams-net.com), July 11, 1999.

WW and eyes_open It is not often that I hae time to reflect and despair over the relatives, friends and just acquaintences that won't be here if TSHTF. It must be something in the air. Today, my MIL and one of her friends were canning peaches and chased me out of the living area. Raining outside and couldn't do yard or farm work. So I went out to the stable and spent the day cleaning tack which is a rather mindless procedure except for looking for breaks, etc. I got hit with the same feelings of foreboding and helplessness. Daggone depressing.

My mom died about a month ago. My dad is bent on travelling. My MIL and HER mother both have cancer. I just might be alone with my wife by this time next year. I hope not because my mother in law is one of my best friends and the grandmother in law is a cool lady. Of course the reverse could be true also. I might have 25 people looking to me for help. Either way would be a nightmare situation. I guess the storm fronts and the pressure gradients cause mood swings like this. WW, I agree. Today was a bummer for whatever reason.

-- Lobo (atthelair@yahoo.com), July 11, 1999.

Hey all--

I had my relapse a couple of days ago and it was all of that bummer your talking about. But the good news is it passed, and the best thing I did to overcome the whirlpool, was to get out and help someone else. I don't know why it works so well, but it goes beyond the obvious, of simply deferring attention to anothers plight. There is something truly rewarding about it. Give it a try! {;^}`

-- Michael (mikeymac@uswest.net), July 12, 1999.

Driving to work each day between Bothell and Seattle, I, too, wonder what will happen in the next year.

If 1% of all these people are prepared - 1 in 100 - what about the other 99? What will they do? Where will they go??

I personally don't believe that there wil be "mindless zombies" roming the streets of Lake City and Seattle. Gangs - maybe - a 99% maybe.

Gas, Electricity, fuels, food - who knows?

I'm preped for 3 months for my family of 4 - what if its longer??

My wife and I have decided to have a "stone soup" mentality towards those in need - perhaps they can contribute a little, some, lots, or none. They can't be turned away. With God's help, we will make it if that happens.

But then again, look at the high rises in Seattle. Millions of sheeple.... it makes you want to screem from the rooftops - boy wouldn't that give Y2K a great name - WIERDO SCREAMS FROM TOP OF SPACE NEEDLE

Whatif a bump happens - we can always say we are prepared for the "big one", but i wouldn't prepare like this.

Jobs . . . what will hapen to jobs. Who will need an espresso stand on every corner? What will a store catering to SW artifacts and art do when all people want is food and assurance that we will get better.

Take away electricity - television goes, radio goes, but we know all that. maybe KING or KOMO or KIRO willl have generators, but we cant run the generator forever and no tv's when we are on battery!

I happened to be in Belize when hurricane Mitch was threatening to go on west and strike us. It wasn't until the day before the squalls were to hit that the stores got busy. The bakery sold out and gave out slips of paper as iou's and a time to come back to redeem them as the bread baked. Water was precious! Since we could, we purchased extra foods for those who got caught having to leave all behind and escape with their clothes and nothing else. Mitch ended up going into Honduras (I feel so for those people) and our life "went on" with the rivers higher, more mud than usual, and thankful prayers.

We had a sattelite phone with us to send out reports of our work progress. since it was battery powered, we felt that we may be the only link with our corner of Belize and the "outer world". None of us had ever been through a hurricane - was it "macabely" exciting for us - to report from the destruction. AN EXCLUSIVE! But how many people would die for our exclusive. Mud and stucco and straw don't stand up to 150+ mph winds. The children I had photographed that day could die! The entire way from us to the ocean rose no more than 50 feet - 20-30 foot storm surge + wave height - no survivors on the coast - sigh!

And now Y2K. ANother mitch except that this time there is no missing us. I hope i am wrong but i see no way out! All roads lead me to be a 7 "doomer", some days worse. What will we do? I would guess that those who commute for great times or distances will have to find something else to do. When will our lives be normal again (normal being a relative term in my case :) )

What can a photographer do w\o electricity. maybe i will have to use the old kerosene safelight i bought many years ago as an antique.

I guess what i find hardest is to keep re-focusing on the present. Preps are ok but the now is important too. I wish we could close the doors and not come out for a year - but that can't happen.

Will I be disappointed if a bump comes instead of a 7+. I am reminded of Jonah. He wanted Ninevah to be consumed but they repented. He withdrew to a hill and sulked. Do I want this to be a 7+. Do i want us to have an EXCLUSIVE INTERNET warning on y2k that the masses don't have - neener neener.

Ah well, that's my feelings tonight 7/11/1999. And i don't drink at all!

It is an important day to my wife and I cuz our daughter died in child birth 19 years ago. It is terrible to see your children die. Parents die when they are old - you don't outlive your kids. You want to do for them - anything - ANYTHING! what will be done for the kids in a 7+ future by parents who are desparate. Cheat, steal, lie, or even murder to protect for them.

We, people, can share. Can help all we can help. We can show that our preps weren't just for our families but maybe for a few others also.

My trust is in Jesus who fed 5 thousand with a few fishes and some bread. My fishes are His. My bread is His. My future is in His hands.

Robert

-- Same as B4 (NWphotog@Foxcomm.net), July 12, 1999.

With the new "prep" site, I started experiencing a second wave of "oh dear, I need to get one or more of those, just in case." The list started to grow and I just shut down. No one can possibly plan and stock for every contingency and every item that may disappear from the shelf.

I have had to back away from reading prep stuff for a while. I still have BIG items on my old list that I am building or working on. I need to keep the old head down and put one foot in front of the other and hope it all gets done before the SHTF and everyone wakes up.

If I don't install, build, etc. now, I won't know if some critical part or supply is missing. Be a bummer to have a solar system and put it up late, just to find you need a fuse that is sold out.

Do you ever feel like you are in one of those contests where they give you a shopping cart and let you fill it with anything in the store until the buzzer goes off?

One ear anticipating the buzzer any moment now.....

-- marsh (armstrng@sisqtel.net), July 12, 1999.

"Since I don't partake anymore (doctor's orders)and you're drinking gin, have a Tom Collins for me. Maybe you can dull the hurt for a while.

WW, tonight a kinda bummed Weasel"

-- Wildweasel (vtmldm@epix.net), July 11, 1999.

Wild Weasel,

It seems that tonight the forum is a bit more introspective than usual. I have no explanation. All I can say is that it gives me a feeling of family and encourages me to go on, and for that, I thank all of you. We seem to have a common consciousness at times that motivates our thoughts and actions. What does this mean? I don't have a clue.

GB Americans (and everyone else)

-- Mike (midwestmike_@hotmail.com), July 12, 1999.

Robert: beautiful words. I just spent a week in Franklin, NC, and by lovely coincidence read 'Cold Mountain.' Full of amazing wisdom, and lots of well-wrought vignettes on tough-minded people who knew how to survive. Quite unlike us'ns. Driving back to Atlanta airport, I had the same thoughts expressed here: "looky all those cars, all these people--how will they survive?" I heard Inman over my shoulder, whispering in my ear: they ain't gonna.

-- Spidey (in@jam.commie), July 12, 1999.

If you try to feed the starving masses,you will become the starving masses.If you can't live with that,I asure you that starving is no easier to live with.You simply can not feed everyone who won't prepair,there are too many.Giveing 10 or 1000 people 1 meal won't help anyone.If y2k is a "10" we're looking at a major thinning of the species.You bet that means major human suffering.Why bother prepairing if you plan on giving it all away in a fit of "type- two"denial?

-- zoobie (zoobiezoob@yahoo.com), July 12, 1999.

Zoob'

My preperations are not just for a 10. They include everything from 10 down to "what to do with all this stuff if nothing happens" plans. If we get a depression there will be people who need food relief. If I am not one of them I can afford and would be pleased to be generous. What got to me is knowing that I can't feed everyone and seeing many of those same "everyone" right in front of me celebrating the start of what we hope will be a wonderful marrage. Weddings make me think of hope for the future. (Ok. I don't ever SAY that. I make up all the "dead man walking" jokes in my crowd. But I think that.)

Everyone else:

I guess the contrast got to me. Thanks for your support and kind words.

Chin up and keep your...

-- eyes_open (best@wishes.net), July 12, 1999.

I have had similar feelings of disconnect traveling to work on the subway. The trains tend to be very quiet, because after all we are all strangers with nothing to say to each other so we must quietly read our newspapers and paperbacks. There have been times I have wanted to get everyone's attention and do a quickie poll on Y2K awareness and status. I never have, because I have never wanted to have it confirmed that I am the only one on my subway car taking it seriously. But it has left me wondering at those times how quickly the worlds of all these strangers will change in the next several months and whether/how they will cope.

-- Brooks (brooksbie@hotmail.com), July 12, 1999.

Everyone gets Y2k at their own speed; everyone preps as they can tolerate it. It's the worst thing we've ever gone through, and the only thing that keeps us going is the thought of what might happen if we don't.

Your best protection is a prepared neighbor, who doesn't HAVE to come over and ask for food. Keep probing for a receptive audience, and when you find one get them pointed in the right direction. Meanwhile, finish your preps ASAP so you can leave the stores free for the slow learners.

Sometimes I just want to crawl in a corner and hide. Sometimes I think we'll squeak by. Sometimes it feels like reading a Steven King book - I mean, why would anyone want to take their brain to a place like that? But I've planned for emergencies since I was 13, and found out that the world plays for keeps. Can't quit right now.

-- bw (home@puget.sound), July 12, 1999.

eyes,

head to die ann's crib. she's been planning for anything. nuf said.

.

-- corrine l (corrine@iwaynet.net), July 12, 1999.

I had that "moment" last week when I read an article in the NY Times about the power outage. There were people in multi-story buildings who lost their power. The elevator didn't work, and the elderly and disabled could not navigate the stairs. One resident found a place to buy water and flashlights and brought some back to share. Her 18 year old daughter said, "One thing this taught us was that we need to be prepared." I read the article and just sat here in unbelief. The power was only off in a small portion of town. It was only off for a short time. What would happen if.... I had a hard time even thinking about it. Many people are SO vulnerable to even a SHORT power outage.....

-- Gayla (privacy@please.com), July 12, 1999.

there was a thread started a few weeks ago just like this one. Sad. Then someone came around and said they "felt like they just stumbled into some pathetic AA meeting" (linda or lisa, I think)

Then the thread went silent.

Because of one Ass.

Yes we do get depressed. Especially at family events. Especially late at night. Especially in crowds.

Here's to all of you, wherever you may be...

-- -- (notnow@sorry.zzz), July 12, 1999.