[LadyRuby]

Sometimes I really do wish I didn't know about this energy problem we're having and will continue to have. I was a much sunnier person before. I'm still optimistic about my own family's situation, but probably everyone tends to be that way. Until it happens to them.

On the other hand, having a family I'm glad to know so I can try to do things to prepare.

And, none of us really knows how this will all shake out.

[aldente]

I understand your post LadyRuby, I am a family man myself. We have a near 4 year old and one on the way. I do not discuss anything PO related with my wife since it is not going over well in the first place. If I recall from earlier posts from you it is the other way round in your relationship

[LadyRuby]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('albente', 'I') understand your post LadyRuby, I am a family man myself. We have a near 4 year old and one on the way. I do not discuss anything PO related with my wife since it is not going over well in the first place. If I recall from earlier posts, it is sort of the other way around in your relationship (big applause by all the readers now - there's a matching PO couple.... and no, neither of us is a subscriber of organized religion, the pic is just too cool).

[aldente]

Getting back to my earlier statement that I see the upcomming events as spiritual portal, followed by the Jesus pic I want to point out that I do not subscribe to- or support any form of organized religion.

The good example how wacko people can get using religion as a shield for whatever they promote is found on the Dr. Hovind thread:
http://www.peakoil.com/fortopic17355.html

[Abacourix]

The very fact that nobody wants to admit or know about any of this, and the fact that everybody is continuing to live their lives in this "matrix" scares me FAR MORESO than peak oil and everything else combined. It wouldn't be so scary if more people were actually willing to face reality and work together on things, but being 19 years old and surrounded by people who don't have any clue (and aren't willing to get it) is not pleasant. It also makes me feel very isolated, since people are just going about their lives, and I have to pretend I'm also being holly jolly, JUST to not be run down by a lynch mob who want to harass the so-called conspiracy theorist. It's a real pain.

[jdumars]

My fellow peakers... 2 weeks ago, I was fine. The land is nearly paid off, Spring is coming, and preparations are in relatively good shape.

But this past week, I have been feeling an awful and growing sensation of futility about it all. As others have written, how do I know that any of my work and preparation are going to be worth it? I may dream of having the skills to be self-sufficient, but the margin of error is razor thin. It would only take one relatively minor accident or storm or whatever to tip over everything. My spouse is great at the mental preparation and learning, but not physically able to pitch in. This means that the life ahead is going to be composed of intense manual labor, as well as responsibility to be plugged into the system enough to handle things like taxes. If I take my romantic "back-to-nature" goggles off, I see a life of misery... cold wet winters, periods of starvation, parasites, desperation, and ultimately a much quicker death. Even writing this, I am on the verge of tears. I feel so completely hopeless, and long for the illusion of continuance. It's no wonder people don't want to (or can't bear to) face this. I wonder if others have considered the notion of "peak suicide" -- meaning we know society is going to crash and burn, but we're just going to party on with it into the abyss -- come what may. That idea has been circling in my head like a plane above the airport -- running out of fuel and with no landing gear.

I don't mean to be a bummer... I have up to now been at least an optimistic doomer, but now I feel something truly terrifying inside me... doubt.

[bob_loblaw]

I read your posts and thank my lucky stars my lady is fully aware. We're both scared shitless of what is to come, but both feel it better to know.

and yep.. the people we try to warn think we're nuts. Selling the house in the city. Getting debt free, buying some silver coins, and moving to a rural location hours away so we can have land with a well and septic, access to wood and small game. I just pray we have time to get out there and somewhat stocked before the shit hits the fan.

I actually know people who just went 110% into debt for a house.. I tried to warn them for 6 months.. but I must just be a crazy nutjob windbag.

So far, my lady and I have read, and telegraphed nearly every downturn in the lives of those close to us..its like watching a car crash in slow motion. Her ex took a second mortgage in the fall.. and is probably just about to loose his house.. four kids.. omg omg omg. No idea what is coming they were/are typical consumers on the edge of destruction.

So, we continue to prepare... warn people, with little hope they will believe. She has two little girls with this ex.. and we can only plan for the survival of the four of us.. god help those who don't prepare.

[lotrfan55345]

Only if you have the acess codes to the Zion mainframe...

[FourOfSwords]

Jdumars, don't despair. Your posts in the past have been fairly even and balanced. I have felt, and to some extent still feel how you do now.
The only thing that is keeping me going is my 5 year old daughter. It is this PO world she is going to have to survive, live, and thrive in. She needs time and my help to be able to do well until she is old enough.
I am a recent diabetic, and in all likelyhood at my age I wont be around in 10- 20 years if tshtf.
So Jdumars, if you've got family, especially kids, make it your only goal in exclusion to almost everthing else, and you will find the strength to deal with these 'bumps'. That's my path.
Do well.
Alex.

[jdumars]

Thanks Alex. I appreciate the kindness and sage advice. I am doing significantly better today than yesterday, having had my depressed tantrum over all of this. I realized some very important things in the last 24 hours that may help others out:

1.) Your diet is paramount!! If you don't eat right, your mood is going to tank. Being PO-aware is like running a marathon, and you have to have the mindset of a long distance runner.

2.) Be very cautious of your interactions with other human beings. It's very easy to have your energy and resolve drain when interfacing with other people. It's best if at all possible to surround yourself with people who provide positive influence. Anyone new that you bring into your circle is going to pull energy away from the marathon. It's the same notion as not being able to help everyone. The best thing to do is be strong in yourself.

3.) If in doubt, simplify and do one small thing at a time, as opposed to being overwhelmed by everything.

4.) Write things down, and if you need feedback, share them here. It's people like Alex and others on here that help keep me bouyant when I am feeling lost.

5.) Figure out what your true needs are and work from there. I realized that a lot of my frustration is that PO gets in the way of my dreams and fantasies, not my needs. Those pure wants are like sugar cravings or other self-destructive impulses and have to be tempered. Otherwise, it's so easy to just spin out of control and wind up bereft of the things that really DO matter.

I hope this helps others out there. I really had a bad day yesterday, and I would hate to see others suffering needlessly like I was. Today, I am flushing the blue pill down the toilet where it belongs, and am picking myself up out of the gutter.

[leyman]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Jellric', 'T')here is no going back. You have been changed forever by this knowledge. Use it to make the lives of you and yours better.

[aldente]

There's the catch: You tell your fellow neighbors about PO - result: you're a nutcase in their view. If you prepare and things get really unreliable over time the will blame you for not having educated them.

I don't see any advantage of having that knowledge, at least in practical terms. There must be an advanced function that allows some of us to access the sensing and understanding of the near future vs. those who seemingly aren't capable to do so.

[Doly]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('albente', 'T')here's the catch: You tell your fellow neighbors about PO - result: you're a nutcase in their view. If you prepare and things get really unreliable over time the will blame you for not having educated them.

[NonToxic]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('albente', 'T')here's the catch: You tell your fellow neighbors about PO - result: you're a nutcase in their view. If you prepare and things get really unreliable over time the will blame you for not having educated them.

I don't see any advantage of having that knowledge, at least in practical terms. There must be an advanced function that allows some of us to access the sensing and understanding of the near future vs. those who seemingly aren't capable to do so.

[Pops]

As has been written about in this forum many times, quite a few of us, myself included, like to sit around and tell each other ghost stories. It can be entertaining when you are supposed to be doing other things and right there is the problem; instead of doing things we tap away on the keyboard spinning stories about how bad things will become or read the latest story that reinforces our conviction that everything is about to go to Hell in a hand basket. No wonder feelings of doubt creep in.

From Pop-Psy Platitudes 101:
What you think about you become.

Instead of fretting about all the things that could go wrong and how vulnerable I am; I try to consider specific problems and think about solutions – even if I don’t implement them immediately. Sounds pompous I know, but it's kind of change the things you can, accept the things you can’t bit (also from PPP-101)

We’re remolding the kitchen with a bunch of fancy and expensive appliances and fixtures we bought when living high on the hog out in CA – little I can do about those expenditures now so why not? But what I am also doing is really beefing up the framing (Tornado Alley here) and insulation, as well as plumbing for a hand-pump even though I don’t have a cistern and solar hot water even though I don’t have any, wiring for minimal emergency/alt power even though I don’t have any, making provision for a wood cook stove though I don’t have one – well, you get the picture. The cost of doing those things is minimal but the effect on my outlook by thinking through the various problems is great.

As Four of Swords said, I may never live to see the necessity for, or implementation of, any of these plans but in the back of my mind I imagine my children or grandchildren may and that reason alone is enough.

As far as this goes:
<<I don't see how doing all that work, sacrificing the joy of the last days of the easy oil party, is worth it if one gunshot will take it all away from us.>>

I apologies for being harsh, but that is simply a cop-out – you're listening to too many ghost stories.


<<But in the end, who the hell knows>

Now, that I can agree with.

[Specop_007]

All I am offering is the truth, nothing more.

Blue pill

Red pill

[Schweinshaxe]

Bastard!

You just forced me to remember my password and how I spell my nick...

Don't ever try that shit again...

[PenultimateManStanding]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Schweinshaxe', '
')You just forced me to remember my password and how I spell my nick...

[Schweinshaxe]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('PenultimateManStanding', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Schweinshaxe', '
')You just forced me to remember my password and how I spell my nick...

[Schweinshaxe]

Shit!

I did it a second time!

Could you please remove this fucking thread before I do it again? Modureiters where are you? Please ban this turd Spec right now!