What Did Our Predecessors Think?

I’ve wondered lately what other peoples must have thought when they saw major changes coming to their lives, cultures and societies. We can look back at history and read about different collapses or major catastrophes that changed the course of life for the humans that were affected. Take the fall of Rome. Many people point to the gradual decline and eventual fall of Rome. Or the massive volcanic eruption that happened at Pompeii. It wiped out entire groups of people, their heritage and history. Pompeii didn’t have any long term warning. I’m not sure they had any warning at all. But the Romans did. 

So my questions are: What did people think when they saw the coming collapse of their way of life? What did they do? How did they deal with the psychological impact of watching it happen? Did they identify those things they could do to prepare and take action? Or did they deny what they saw and heard, unwilling to face the coming changes in their lives? I’ve read of peoples that scoffed when they were warned of coming invasions. I’ve read of people that fled their homeland in search of safety and a new productive life because of the massive changes happening around them.

So, what is a collapse? What is it that we are so frequently reading about all over the internet? According to Wikipedia, “ Societal collapse is the fall or disintegration of human societies. Societal collapse broadly includes abrupt societal failures such as that of the Mayan Civilization, as well as more extended gradual declines of cultures, institutions, or a civilization like the fall of the Western Roman Empire.”

It would be very interesting to be able to talk to some of the peoples that lived through the collapse of their society. In many ways I don’t really think they would be much different than a cross section of the societies found around the globe now. What advice would they give us? What would they have discovered that was most important to their survival? And not just their survival, but overall physical, mental and psychological health in the midst of this long term crisis?

We read about the fall of the Roman Empire, the Mayan Civilization, about major natural disasters in this location or that, or about wars and how devastating it is to the countries involved. Each and every one of these events brought tremendous changes, and challenges. Many people lost their homes, their livelihoods or their lives. Many people were displaced from the region they had always called home. Some managed to relocate and start over. Some were enslaved by those that conquered their nations. Some were killed. Some didn’t have the means to maintain their lives and the lives of their families and they all perished.

You know where this is going, don’t you? The collapse that is coming to our world is just that. Worldwide. It won’t be restricted to a certain geographical location. There won’t be other countries, states or cities that will be able to send help. The electric companies from the neighboring states won’t be there to turn your lights back on, because theirs are off, too. There won’t be massive shipments of food and medical supplies by sea and by air arriving in your country, or city, or neighborhood to help you survive the coming collapse.

This time, when it rains, it will rain on all of us. Do you have a storm shelter? Do you have a rain suit? Do you even have an umbrella? The manner in which you will be able to live during the coming collapse will hinge solely on the efforts you have made ahead of time to prepare. I can’t say it any plainer. If you just cannot bring yourself to accept the fact that our world will soon not resemble what it is now, I sincerely encourage you to work at it. The thought, energy and action you put into place today can make a very big difference in your life to come.

So, what did our predecessors think? I really wish I knew. What will people think 20 or 30 or 40 years from now about the choices we made in the face of our coming collapse? That would be an interesting thing to know as well. If you think of your preparations and efforts as your epitaph, what will it say? Here lies……………………. Now fill in the blank.

Until next time – Fern

Visit Thoughts From Frank and Fern at http://thoughtsfromfrankandfern.blogspot.com/