This article was published on Huffington Post and can be seen here. Regular readers of my blog will recognize it as part of what I wrote yesterday.
Tenuous Connection
How will you and I connect if there is no electricity? How will you and I connect if there are no phones? How will a world made of 9 billion people exist when the only means of communication is the same as that which was available in 1850 (or 1750, when there was no postal service)? What if we no longer have motorized transport in most of the world? We would be stuck with our legs, or bicycles. Where would all of this leave us, back in some-distant-past BC because so few people know how to ride horses or use animals to pull wagons? In this, the third world has already outpaced us. How quickly the strands of our amorphously tangled web of connection would fall away if there was nothing to give us the power to connect with one other as we do in the modern world.
Human “leaders” seem hell bent on war and destruction, and it is not implausible their actions could lead to nuclear war. Fukishima is leaking and we can’t stop it. Weather patterns have changed so drastically it is not just possible, but highly probable that many major catastrophic weather events will occur in the near future.
Finish this article by clicking here.
Random Thoughts on Everything and Nothing 
The first thought I had yesterday – which may not be the most appropriate or sensible one – is that such a global setback should reorient us to focus on ‘new families’. That is, recreate a new sense of community wherever we may find ourselves if the crap does go down. Your sense of family appears much stronger than mine (I lost most of them early) but untold numbers of people rushing headlong from one end of a nation or state to another (especially when times have suddenly become very hard and confusing) seems like a waste of resources. Yes, it’s a wonderful notion that family will rally to each other’s needs in a crisis but, frankly, I don’t see a lot of that kind of selflessness manifested in many families. A shame, but . . . So, if we had to carve out a new future then I figured it would be a bonus if the estranged people who these days live so close to each other, actually got to know their neighbours and developed new support mechanisms for the greater good. Damn, but I sound like a bushy-tailed idealist (which I don’t consider I am). Still, a thought for consideration.
You keep making us think, Lara.
I like what you say about creating community. It’s true. And I think we’re too disparate, too much of our “community” illusory. The main family I am concerned with is my 2 daughters. Honestly I don’t fit with my family of origin and although I would want to make sure they were okay, I would not be setting out on foot to do it. Actually, I would set out (with daughters and if it was safe) for my best friend’s house, which is about a 90 minute drive, probably half a day on a bicycle, and a full day’s walk. Mainly though, my inclination is to get the girls, get home, and stay as safe as possible. Nesting. I would nest. LOL
It also isn’t lost on me that my blog relationships are part of this illusory community. (: It’s all good, just sad that it has replaced face-to-face relationships in so many ways.
Ah, so many truths in one hit, Lara. Yes, nothing matters more than one’s offspring. I would surrender my life without even a moment’s hesitation for either (or both) of my boys to ensure their safety. I’ve had my time and whatever remains should be theirs. And, hey, nesting ain’t a bad thing! Especially in a world gone haywire. Having read your initial post I can understand the reticence to rush and embrace your parents. And, again, I think it better to be realistic than pretend all was wonderful. There are some other issues worth having a natter about, having perused some of your earlier posts the other day but you may fear I’m stalking you so I’ll leave it for a while. You have a ripper day, mate! David.