That was a beautiful piece of writing. There is so much negativity to be found in many of the blogs on this site, but of course, that is the nature of the environment you're writing from and that is understandable, but to read your thoughts here, it was difficult to not be projected to that beautiful place of calm and peace that you speak of. I'm so glad you have found that for yourself!

In February 2011, a category 5 cyclone hit here where I live on the east coast of Australia. There is no category 6. This storm was the same size as Hurricane Katrina. I found it quite entertaining as we prepared, how fuel stations had cars lining up out onto the road and the supermarket shelves were cleared in record time as people took more than they needed, when on my meager budget I was only able to afford the usual necessities for my 3 children and I, yet that was enough. The only directions we were given was to 'stay in our homes until the winds had passed' so I gathered my 3 children and we all slept together in my bedroom away from windows, with candles lit, huddled together, hot from the summer temperatures of the northern tropics and togetherness was all we required. Thankfully we didn't have the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina as our homes have been built to cyclone standards for some decades now and as we are a garrison city, the Army worked around the clock to clean up the debris on our roads and within 3 days our electricity supply was back up and running. It wasn't the end of the world and our 3 day 'camping trip at home' was over.

This experience reiterated exactly what you have said here. That when it comes down to it, all we need is our inner strength and our loved ones around us. It was also awesome to see our communities pulling together and helping each other out in the aftermath.

Thank you for the reminder today to slow down, & smell the roses. The end of the world stories continue to entertain me, I think you'll find us still here, even after the end of the Myan calendar in December later in the year - but keep checking in on us just in case ;)

Thank you for your beautiful words!

Nicki

I must admit to a certain perversity...

When I was young(er), I used to ask this question of men that I met in my life:

"If there was a nuclear war...what would you do?"

There was no right or wrong answer of course, but it gave me an insight into the person...how they would view adversity (albeit the example in this case was an extreme one). Those that said they'd stick their head between their legs and kiss their butt goodbye never impressed me. Those that said they'd want to survive...interested me.

I've always been a fan of catastrophe movies...and not just for the special effects (although I must confess I truly do enjoy watching the obliteration of Paris for some warped reason). I believe adversity brings out our true nature...tests our mettle, so to speak.

If I knew that the world would end, without hope of life continuing in some form or another...then I'd accept it peacefully, spending what time was left appreciating the world around me and the people that mean the most to me. If however, there was even a smidgen of hope that the world would go on...even drastically altered...I'd probably do my best to be prepared. I just wouldn't want to miss the adventure...

The real problem comes when I think about my pets. Do I stock up on Cat Chow or set them free...maybe turn them into my personal hunting pack...and would they be loyal? There are so many things to think about when it comes to the end of the world. Maybe I should make a list...