Apocalypse … Later

January 7, 2012December 27, 2014 by earthriderjudyberman In Human Interest, Inspiration 10 Comments

By Judy Berman

Mayan Calendar Doomsday folks are convinced that there won’t be a Dec. 22^nd. But they’re wrong.

If you can’t believe Marty McFly of “Back to the Future,” who traveled to 2015, well, then who can you believe? But, suppose for just a nano-second that the Doomsday Sayers are right. What would you do differently? Quit your job? Jump out of a plane? Mend old fences?

Some might want to throw or attend an ongoing party until Dec. 21^st. That’s the end of the Mayan Long Count calendar which some believe signifies the end of the world. Or, maybe they want to pack their bags for an out-of-this-world experience by hitching a ride on an intergalactic ship to a new galaxy.

“According to the ancient Mayan calendar, next year’s winter solstice marks the end of a 144,000-day cycle. This cycle, which begins at the mythical Maya creation date, has already been repeated 12 times. The 13th will end in 2012, capping a full 5,200-year Mayan cycle of creation,” according to Space.com’s Charles Q. Choi.

Apocalypse … now … in 2012? I don’t buy it. Astronomers’ findings support my lack of concern. Mayans also say that Dec. 21^st only ends one cycle and then a new one begins.

But to get back to the question I posed: If … if you thought this was true, what would you do or change in your life? You don’t need the threat of the end of the world to shift gears and get going. Actually, this could be motivation to make that transformation you’ve considered, but hesitated to follow thru on.

Here’s some thoughts on life-altering decisions and bucket-list activities:

• Don’t just follow thru on your desire to run into the boss’s office and shout, “Take this job and shove it,” before running off to see the world. This bold move takes money or ingenuity – or both. If you have a short supply of either, you can plan      now on how you can fulfill that dream.

• Does skydiving top your lists of things to do before you die? Or kayaking on a raging river? If you have a fear of flying or drowning, there’s still time to work this out. Be fearless.

• Chuck out old grudges. Let go of the past. That way you’ll have fewer – or no – regrets when that person is no longer a part of your life. Hurt feelings often melt away once communication begins. Mend fences now.

• Reach out to someone you haven’t talked to or seen in a long time. It’s amazing how time flies by. I once went to write a thank-you note to a teacher who had been very supportive of me in high school and learned that he had passed away. So I wrote a letter to his widow telling her about what a great teacher he was and what he meant to me as I set out on my own. She was delighted to hear from me. I only wish I could have said those things to him. Don’t delay.

The end of the world shouldn’t be trivialized. But I think it’s a great beginning for all of us to start thinking how we want to live our lives now.

Unlike Marty McFly, we can’t change the past. But we can swap out for a new, improved future.

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Photo credit: Wikimedia  

Michael J. Fox (as Marty McFly), Christopher Lloyd (as “Doc” – Dr. Emmett Brown) and the DeLorean Time Machine in “Back to the Future:”

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:DeLoreanmachine.jpg