We are still here, the world didn't end in 2012

Well, the world didn't come to an end, because in the year 2013 I am sitting here writing about surviving the end of the world. There is nothing wrong with being prepared. I wasn't one of them on the day the world was supposed to come to an end.

I have put some deep thought into the correlation of the world coming to an end and our current society. You have to ask yourself, "What has become of the United States?" from time to time. What has our society become?

As I look back, I think about how our generations that was children of the 70's and 80's took life in stride. We graduated high school, went to college, got a job, got married, bought a house and started a family. Life strolled on the financial path with a few bumps in the road without too much struggle. Our generation could quit a job one day and find a better job in a week. Life isn't like that anymore. Today if you lose your job, it may years before you find another one. You worry about what you will lose along the way.

There are several reasons we are in this situation today. For example, our government did not make the right decisions concerning overseas trade and allowed the American people to be outsourced. Forcing millions of people out of work while our jobs are sent over to overseas countries. China's middle class is rising while the middle class of America is falling into the trenches.

Technology is replacing people. We love our technology, but we don't think about how many jobs the technology has replaced. It was a time coming, but our government did not prepare us for the time that technology would replace people. Maybe the government will understand when the question if asked in terms they may understand. What do we do with all the surplus people the policies we pass will put out of work?

Crime is at an all time high, neighborhoods are abandoned and filled with homes that have been either vandalized with graffiti and have become rest havens for criminals to do their dirty work in or they have been burned down and are a danger to the neighborhood children. Maybe your neighborhood doesn't look that today, but there are plenty that do.

Millions of families who have lost everything they own and can barely afford to feed their children or worry about if they will be able to keep the heat on in their house during the winter months.

The quality of our children's education has fallen as schools lay off teachers and schools are shut down.

No, the world hasn't come to an end just yet. Some day our children's children will be reading about how our life was during this recession. Just as we read about the Great Depression. This is a recession that will make the history books. But, I am curious why they are still calling it a recession. I think we have passed a recession a long time ago.

My theory which has nothing to do with the Mayan Calendar, is that we are going to experience a new way of life. The wheels started turning long before December 21, 2012. It all began when millions of Americans lost their jobs, their homes, cars and struggle to survive. We are entering into a new way of life, a new way of life that is going to be much harder. The cost of living has risen while the American household income has gone down. It is becoming a society where America's Middle Class is disappearing.

So, if you are reading this in the year 3012, this is what our life was like in the year 2012. People were more worried about if they were going to be able to give their children a Christmas dinner or put presents under the tree or maybe just worrying about where they would sleep or if they could even feed their child that day. 

A Unusual Year Ahead

The year 2012 has already has already kicked off to an unusual start. The weather is definitely warmer than usual all across the country. Fifty degree weather in Michigan during the month of January, I will take it. My daughter pointed out something unusual today, there are three Friday the 13ths during the year 2012. An all out war has broke out in Iraq already.  Hopefully they won't be sending our men and women back over there to straighten things out over there again.

I don't really believe this will be the year the world will end. But, it may be the beginning of a new world. It is completely possible, it may be the beginning of a different world. Through out history the world has evolved and changed. The generation experiencing the change never believes the changes that are going to occur. 80 years ago they never would have believed you if you said in the future people will be able to sit on their couches  using a computer accessing the entire world or we would be able to walk around talking on telephones that you could take anywhere with you. They would have thought you were crazy.

Every generation experiences a major change in society. This just may be our generation and our children's generation experiencing the change. Our generation has watched technology grow and flourish. There is always a price to pay for increasing technology. It is a catch 22. The more technology that is created, the less jobs people are needed for to perform. People are being replaced with technology. Our environment has a price to pay for all the new technology. Therefore, we may experience global warming to a certain extent, more volcanoes, earthquakes and more environmental disasters.

I think we are looking at a different way of life. Technology has soared into the future, while it feels like people are falling back into the past. Our generation will have to be the generation that will have to learn how to embrace the changes that are happening and find new innovative ways to work. But, there are going to be those who fall between the cracks of change.

I don't really think we are looking at one catastrophic event happening and poof our world is going to be different. At least I hope that's not what we are looking at happening. It is possible to have several catastrophic events through out an extended time for all the chemicals we pump into the air and water to innovate all of our new technology. Eventually, it will catch up with us.

We have seen the Y2K and the 11/11/11 come and go. I think we will see the 12/21/2012 come and go along with the rest of the predictions. But, I think the year 2012 will be remembered as the year the United States has changed as a society. Our way of life will be changed forever. This economic recession we are suffering from will be the beginning of a new society and a new way of life.

Just as the Hoover was blamed for the Great Depression in the history books. Obama will be in the history books as taking down Osama Bin Laden and the Great Recession of 2012. Even though the recession began before he came into office, he will be blamed for the economic fall of our country.

I think we will be looking a  larger class division between the wealthy and the poor, the middle class is fading out. People have achieved the "American Dream" and are watching it slip right through their fingers. The cost of living is increasing making it more difficult for the ones who have managed to keep their jobs to maintain the way of life they are used to.

As more and more people lose their jobs, they become more desperate looking for ways to survive and the crime rate is increasing. Just as it has increased through out history.

What it all boils down to is, history always repeats itself. I don't think we will be living in this dark world where half our population will be wiped out during one big catastrophic event. We are looking at a different way of life that will be harder to achieve success and a lot of people will struggle and fall between the cracks. Our way of life will change and demand the need for more technology to be created. Our children or our children's children will be living in a different society than we knew of as we were achieving the "American Dream" and the path of change will not be a glorious path of change for our generation.