Maybe I’ve been watching too much Discovery Channel. I’ve been thinking about Armageddon lately.
All these programs on asteroids or super volcanos or global warming or viruses or alien invaders or an ice age or the reversal of the magnetic poles or AI robots or nanobots or maybe Zombies taking us out. Well, relax. It ain’t gonna happen. At least not on our watch.
(Except, of course, The Walking Dead.
For my part, I’m still working on whether to throw my lot with Rick or Shane….)
(Opps. Looks like Shane would have been a bad bet)
The Earth’s been around for some 4.5 billion years. Multi-celled life has been running around on it for about 1/2 a billion years or so. Major Armageddon extinction events, like the asteroid that took out the dinosaurs some 65 million years ago, have happened about five times. So that’s about one every 100 million years or so.
Are we really arrogant enough to think it’s going to happen in the geological eye-blink we’ll be around? That we’ll be the ones to witness it? Not likely.
But if it did owning gold, the most popular end of days choice, isn’t going to help you. People aren’t going to care about a fairly useless, in a non-technology world, metal. If they do, someone bigger and stronger is just going to take yours. But then, no other investment will help either. We’ll be beyond investment considerations. Guess I’ll stop blogging then.
Time to stop blogging
If Armageddon — that is the real collapse of worldwide financial, social, moral and political structures — ever does occur, what’s in our portfolios will be the least of our concerns. Here’s what will matter: Your practical skills. Can you fix the machinery? Plant new crops? Build shelter? Get water flowing? Get the electricity back on?
In the post apocalyptic world, should I be one of the few survivors, I imagine us all sitting around the fire.
Know any good postapocalyptic campfire songs?
“You know,” someone will say, “we should go around the circle here and take an inventory of what skills we all have.”
“I’m a carpenter,” the 1st guy might say. “I can help us rebuild.”
“I’m a chef. I can prepare the food we gather and the game we hunt.”
“I’m a farmer. I can get our crops planted and nurture them to fruition.”
“I’m a hunter. I can provide meat and protect the camp.”
“I’m a fisherman.”
“I’m a mechanic.”
“I’m an electrician.”
On and on they’ll go listing useful skills until, at last, they come to me. “Ah, well let’s see now,” I’ll say. “I can publish our “Armageddon Today” newsletter…”
Guess who’s gonna be dinner when things turn tough?
I’ve always admired folks who can actually do stuff. Not only are they more self sufficient, if they’re good they’ll have people like me lined up to pay for their services.
My now-not-so-little girl said to me recently, “When I buy a house, I want to be rich enough to pay people to keep it in good repair.” Hey, that was my plan! Trouble is, it is as much work finding people who are willing and able as it is to do it yourself. If you expect quality work at a reasonable price, it’s damn near impossible.
My pal Serge is a retired master carpenter. He does, on a selective basis, jobs that interest him or that help his friends. That my house hasn’t crumbled to dust is largely his doing. So is our gorgeous kitchen and master bath. But he is accepting less and less work these days. Time to sell the house.
Develop these skills, treat your customers fairly, and it’s like money in the bank. You’ll always have the freedom to choose your path. Even if Armageddon doesn’t come.
But if it does and if we’re ever around the campfire together, remember I’m old and the meat would be tough.
