TGIF 2012: Is This The End? Yes!

For the last couple of weeks, I’ve been experiencing a strange sense of déjà vu as emails from various readers, friends, associates, total strangers, etc. have once again begun to clog my inbox with requests for my opinion as to whether or not I think the “end of the world” is coming.  Yep… I definitely have a suspicion that I’ve done this before… oh yeah... maybe it’s because I HAVE done this before… several times.  I also suspect this isn’t the last time I’m asked to cover this subject.

Or is it?

I have sat down many times to write this response.  What you’re about to read is by no means my first attempt.  I tried writing about how various doomsdayers have been “pulling the apocalypse fire alarm,” but it just felt like I was spewing out more of the same old rhetoric. 

Then I thought about discussing how afraid I am of people, more specifically those whose belief in Friday’s apocalypse could cause them to snap.  But… honestly… I think people have enough to be sad and/or worried about right now, after the events of recent days. 

Then I tried to just write up a generic “No” answer of some kind… to put it simply, that one really sucked. 

Then I tried to pen a more clever response as to why the world will NOT end on Friday, December 21, 2012… that one sucked even worse. 

Something just didn’t seem right about answering with my usual “No, the end is not nigh” response, and I couldn’t quite put my finger on why.

Then I was struck by a new thought—“You know what? Why not say this IS the end?”

That’s right… I’m saying it.

The end is nigh, folks!  Armageddon is at hand!

Okay, it's probably not… but bear with me, here.  Don’t misunderstand… I’m not suggesting that you run out and spend your life savings on first aid supplies and canned meats.

Far from it.

I’m telling everyone to stop with the prepping… stop with the worrying… stop with the speculating… and get busy with the LIVING.  I think it’s totally irrelevant whether or not the end of the world is upon us, to be honest with you.

I mean… wouldn’t it be awesome if for the next couple of days we could all pretend that these are our last days on Earth?  Who cares if all this “TGIF 2012” insanity turns out to be “real” or not.  I’ve never been one to put much stock in “real” things.

Therefore… for the very first time (or is it the very last time?)… I’m not going to tell you all that this is not the end of all things.  I’m telling you we should just ACT like it’s the end.

What a beautiful thing it would be, in my humble opinion, if every single one of us could take this opportunity to live these next few days as if they are our last.  I can think of few things more joyous than to have the chance to live, for even but a day, as if there’s no tomorrow.

Between now and Friday… I challenge YOU, my fellow human, to live as you have never lived before.  Here are a few suggestions, just to get the ball rolling:

 

·         Take that risk you never took but always wished you had

·         Go on a trip to that place you’ve dreamed of visiting but have always postponed

·         Tell your children how much you love them and how proud of them you are

·         Make sure that the ones you love KNOW they are loved

·         If you don’t have someone to love… go out and find one

·         Give out free hugs

·         Forgive someone… and make sure they know it

·         For goodness sakes, call your mother!

·         Go talk to some old people… they have the best stories

·         Cross a thing or two off that bucket list of yours

I just cannot fathom how any of the above actions could do significant harm to anyone.  To me, these all sound like much better ways to spend your final days than buying more firearms, ammo, and cup ramen in preparation for an inevitable end that in reality you won’t be able to do a damn thing to stop.

Personally, if I flip on the news on Friday morning and Chris Hansen is telling viewers to place their heads between their legs and kiss their butts goodbye, I sure as hell don’t plan to waste another moment worrying about it.  Not… ONE … PRECIOUS… SECOND.  I will simply do as much living and loving as I am able in the time I have left.  The rest is up to God, as far as I am concerned.

[FYI – if you see me running by stark naked, wearing cheap sunglasses, carrying a large bottle of top shelf tequila, singing Bon Jovi’s ‘Blaze of Glory’ at the top of my lungs and heading for the nearest rooftop… well, you might (after you’re done recoiling in horror, of course) want to make your peace with whatever form of God you wish.  Or, for my atheist friends, just make peace.]

The nice thing is that we don’t even have to stop doing this after Friday!

If the day of reckoning comes and goes and all is the same as it ever was… just LIVE. Truly, passionately, and without reservation, I beg you to squeeze the very marrow of life from the bones of this existence with which we’ve all been blessed.

Live as you have never before lived, in the manner you have always wanted.  As long as it does no harm, then I say more power to you.

Love with all the passion in your heart… love until you’re exhausted.

And bollocks to all the rest.

I love you all… even those of you I’ve never met.

Now put down the SPAM, get off your butt, come out of your basement, and go do some living while there’s still living to be done!

I’ll be seeing everyone at the post-apocalyptic after party… again.  This will be the third time in my life that I’ve had the chance to attend a “Yay, the world didn’t end!” soirée.  And it probably won’t be the last.