[raober]

Hello all...

I just became PO aware over the last couple of months. My first response was immediate doomer for a few days...then I got a bit more optimistic after that.

Over these past 3 or 4 days though, I'm really depressed. So much of the news is pessimistic...talking about declining energy, increasing tensions, and the subprime bubble burst. I literally haven't been able to go more than 5 minutes without thinking about peak oil. I tend to be a worrier and focus on certain things...but usually, I realize that my fears are unfounded. Now, though, I see little reason to think so about peak oil. I've done a good job hiding this from my wife so far (haven't even mentioned PO yet) but I know I'm going to break soon.

It's not even my own future that makes me cry. It's looking at my 3 year old daughter, the loveliest creature I have ever seen in my life...and thinking that it is not likely that she will reach 10 years old. I feel powerless to protect my family from what is to come. I've never planted a garden, bulit much of consequence, or shot a gun. I've been as much a part of the consumer machine as anyone, and the guilt and shame that I feel right now is intense. I've started to think about finding ways to prepare...but I'm not sure I have the fortitude or the resources.

I know that there are people here who are at least a bit more optimistic, and that have already come to terms with even doomer thinking. I congratulate you, you are stronger than I.

I just needed to write these things. Thanks for reading. Any words of encouragement/reason to hope would be appreciated.

[MonteQuest]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('raober', ' ') Any words of encouragement/reason to hope would be appreciated.

[seldom_seen]

You're beyond the walls of the compound now. Welcome outside. Eventually you'll like it better out here. It just takes a little getting used to. If you don't, well you can go back inside, but you'll never forget what you saw on the outside. Like the bhudda I guess.

I'm listening to some Jimmy Cliff right now "we no have no bread, but we nah go dead."

I've spent some time in places like Brazil. So many poor people, but yet so happy. Always dancing, making music, sharing food. As Peter Tosh says, they "put nothing with nothing and get something. 0 + 0 = 1." I don't see the same happiness in the US. I just see the stress on peoples faces.

Chances are good that you will see your daughter grow up. She just might not have an iphone an HDTV, lexus, several charge cards with the choice of her favorite 4 year institution.

You had an awakening. You know that life is fleeting, transient and always changing. Enjoy your time now. Be with your daugther now, as we don't know what the future holds. With or without peak oil.

[careinke]

Accept the fact that you are fucked.

Go to the library and check out Dale Carnegie's "How to stop worrying and start living". And while you are there, check out a book on permaculture.

Then plant a garden.

Finally quit whinning! It does you or your family no good.

Cliff (Start a revolution, grow a garden)

[americandream]

Stupidity of such a monumental order abounds today to the degree where I'm not optimistic. Yes, I'm afraid, our biggest threat is simply old stupidity.

We have essentially built a massive global civilisation around no future planning on the use of our common finite resource base other than that all of it goes to the highest bidder/biggest bully/most voracious consumer etc.

Imagine running a family on those principles. Add to that, the further problem that this thinking has now escaped the confines of Euro/US into the former communist states in the USSR and China, as well as Gandhian India and boy, are we in deep doggy doo.

Any denialist needs to ask him or herself a simple question..how long can our planet and its resource base remain in the current band of climate and resourcing limits when this is going on?

[Resurrection]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('raober', 'H')ello all...

[rdberg1957]

I've been peak oil aware for a few year now. I'm not optimistic about future civilisation, but I am optimistic about myself. My preparation is the same as if there were no peak oil. I am trying to become the best me I can. I try to educate others. I try to learn all I can. I write to congress. One can only develop the gifts with which one is endowed. I am not a survivalist. If I can join with a group of people to survive, I will, but I will be expendable. I may have a normal or truncated life span, but this is nothing to cause despair. Many of us die sooner than we would wish because of disease, accidents, crimes, wars. Whether the multitude of environmental and social problems overwhelm us in one year or twenty-five, I will be the best man I can be.

[coyote]

Welcome, raober, and thank you for your honest and heartfelt first post here.
I am among the doomer crowd here... I believe that among the many financial, natural resource and ecological catastrophes converging, humanity is facing a global crisis the likes of which it has never seen or, until recently, guessed at in its worst nightmares.

Nevertheless: I also believe that solutions -- individual, family and community -- do exist. I am slowly making preparations, and they do not include becoming a farmer or a petroleum engineer. They do include learning to garden; learning naturalism and ancient survival skills; reading up on permaculture (thank Ludi for that one); working toward relocation; deepening my overall understanding of the situation so that I can help others around me understand as well (that's the role of this site, and others such as the Oil Drum); and developing skills that will be useful to folks in a post-peak community.
This last, again, does not necessarily have to do with food or energy production per se. Think of the world when it did not have the cheap energy we enjoy now -- a century or two ago, I suppose -- and then figure out what job you'd like to have in that world. Then start building it. You'll be ahead of the curve, even now. And that, in my opinion, means everything.

Sure, it'll be different this time around. It'll be a lot scarier, and there will probably be new technologies we can't guess at now. But for most of us, it'll simply be a question of finding some niche that works in a world of declining resources. A niche that is designed to contract, rather than expand. That's key.
What is that niche -- for you? What is the perfect thing? Think on it -- for dozens, hundreds of hours, I don't care how long it takes. Just think. Figure it out. Then go build it.

Solutions do exist.
Hell, MonteQuest, who posted above, is our 'uber-doomer' -- he has perhaps a more complete understanding of the issues humanity is facing than anyone here. But he also believes solutions exist. He even believes that global solutions may exist. I'm still making up my mind about that. He may be more optimistic than I am.

I guess the distillation is that optimism does not depend on external circumstances. You can recognize that we're in for a hell of a rough ride, and still not give up a core of optimism. Having learned of some of these issues -- and taken them seriously, obviously -- you are in a better position than 99% of your fellow humans to prepare for it. Use it!

[raober]

Thanks so far for the replies...as expected, they are quite a variety.

MonteQuest - I've had a look at that forum a few times...it's daunting to say the least. When I'm in a better place mentally (soon I think), I may avail myself of the info and activity there.

seldom_seen - Thanks for the optimism! I do realize tough times are ahead no matter what...the degree and timeline are probably still a bit fluid...but if my daughter does manage to make it to adulthood, it will definitely be worth it. And don't worry...she is *never* getting an iPhone.

careinke - Well, sometimes I do think I need a good smack in the face...I do whine sometimes. As for gardening/permaculture, I don't think my current location will work. What I'm thinking my strategy *could* be is to develop another skill which could be traded for food. Not sure yet.

americandream - I see your point. There are a lot of dumbasses out there. Even a nuclear war remains a strong possibility...which would render everything moot. We certainly are not a wise, forethinking species. I sincerely hope that cooler heads can somehow prevail and at least allow humanity to have *some* sort of shot at a future. I have to agree, though, current leadership does not instill confidence in this.

Resurrection - Good advice there. Before I could undertake any of that, I would have to discuss things with my wife, since what you suggest would require plenty of time and finances. I'm not sure I can convince her of the threat. I do love her completely though, and need her by my side if I'm going to maintain any semblance of sanity.

rdberg1957 - I wonder if I will follow your sense of thinking. After all, I have been lucky to be in the richest country in the world for almost 36 years...I may very well be expendable myself, but willing to join up with a community in order to help others survive.

Ferretlover - Thanks for the pm. Yes, I will endeavor to do that.


Thanks again to everyone. I think I'm going to try to take a few days away from the PO stuff to straighten out my head, and maybe also talk to my wife. After that, I think my path will be a little more clear.

Good luck to you all in your preparations...you may hear from me again soon!

[PrairieMule]

A sense of humor is the most vital but overlooked component in a doomer's bugout bag.

[coyote]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('rdberg1957', 'M')any of us die sooner than we would wish because of disease, accidents, crimes, wars. Whether the multitude of environmental and social problems overwhelm us in one year or twenty-five, I will be the best man I can be.

[bobaloo]

raober, I've been dealing with this stuff for many years, my advice (based on much first-hand experience), is that the best antitdote to depression is action. Get away from the computer, get off the couch, turn off the TV, and do something, anything, that will give you some satisfaction. The list of things you'll want to do will be endless, and if you take them all at once it's overwhelming, but take one tiny piece and start working on it, I promise you that you will feel better once you've accomplished something toward preparing yourself and your family, no matter how small it is.

My recommendation is start putting away some spare food, just add a little to your shopping list every time, and think about a 25 pound sack of beans and of rice, or something along those lines that suits your taste. In no time you'll have a month's worth of extras put away, and you can go look at it and admire it. No matter what happens, it's good to have and won't cost much.

[seldom_seen]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('PrairieMule', 'A') sense of humor is the most vital but overlooked component in a doomer's bugout bag.

[azreal60]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'I')t's not even my own future that makes me cry. It's looking at my 3 year old daughter, the loveliest creature I have ever seen in my life...and thinking that it is not likely that she will reach 10 years old. I feel powerless to protect my family from what is to come. I've never planted a garden, bulit much of consequence, or shot a gun. I've been as much a part of the consumer machine as anyone, and the guilt and shame that I feel right now is intense. I've started to think about finding ways to prepare...but I'm not sure I have the fortitude or the resources.

[Pretorian]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('raober', 'I')t's not even my own future that makes me cry. It's looking at my 3 year old daughter, the loveliest creature I have ever seen in my life...and thinking that it is not likely that she will reach 10 years old.

[Concerned]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Pretorian', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('raober', 'I')t's not even my own future that makes me cry. It's looking at my 3 year old daughter, the loveliest creature I have ever seen in my life...and thinking that it is not likely that she will reach 10 years old.

[MattSavinar]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('raober', 'I')'ve started to think about finding ways to prepare...but I'm not sure I have the resources.

[MD]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('MattSavinar', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('raober', 'I')'ve started to think about finding ways to prepare...but I'm not sure I have the resources.

[MD]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('raober', 'I') just needed to write these things. Thanks for reading. Any words of encouragement/reason to hope would be appreciated.

[Resurrection]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Pretorian', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('raober', 'I')t's not even my own future that makes me cry. It's looking at my 3 year old daughter, the loveliest creature I have ever seen in my life...and thinking that it is not likely that she will reach 10 years old.