A Post Oil Society

The world will not be able to function in a post oil/fossil fuel society. The way we live and produce our goods, will have to alter so much that society won't be able to adapt. We are so caught up in finding ways to keep our cars running that we fail to see that we need a way to keep our way of life going. The way we harvest food, the places we live, our buildings and even down to our entertainment will change. In order to with stand such drastic changes, society would have to keep a steady and open mind. Unfortunately being calm and collected in a crisis situation isn't the mentality of your average human.

Harvesting our food is usually done on a massive scale. It is usually done by a few large farms, that are cultivated and harvested with industrial equipment. These machines take large amounts of oil and gasoline to run. Without fuel the machines are useless. Mass farming will come to an end. Farming will become a much more local and widely done chore. Without the cooperation of the many with land, the survival of those without it, will be lessened. People will have to share, which is something people, especially Americans, have come to hate. The what's mine is mine mindset will be the end of a lot of potential. People will refuse to share the land with others and it won't be farmed as well as it could. Where we live will change drastically as well.

Big, over populated cites will have to go, as well as, houses way out in the middle of no where. The big cities won't be able to support that many people in one place without mass transit for food and transportation. That many people bunched together can only exist if food is brought into the city for them. There is no place for to grow their own. The people out in no man's land aren't much better off. They might possibly have the land to grow their food on, but the chances are they don't have the materials. In this generation unless you're already a farmer, you're not gonna have the right equipment to do the work. Even if you happen to think ahead to buy the equipment, you're probably not gonna get the seeds you need. There will be so many retards that think they know how to farm, buy all the seeds up and ruin them. Cooperation is going to be key here. People are gonna have to become more dependent on each other instead of the local Food City or Walmart. A few people will figure this out but unless a strong leader takes charge society will fall to dumbfounded idiots. Though food harvesting and transporting is going to be the biggest problem faced, building to suit our ever growing population,, is going to be a task itself.

Now a days, construction is like a large scale children's leggo set. The pieces are manufactured to fit each other to speed the processes, and are pieced together with cranes and other giant machinery. This whole process is dependent on fossil fuels. Manufacturing takes oil to fuel and lubricate the machinery, as well as, the machines to piece it all together. We will have to depend on more man manageable materials. A lot more small houses will be built and we will have to go back to the village style of living. Lot's of closer knit community's will form. All of this is taking for granted someone will take charge and when i say someone I mean many. One man won't be able to control the masses without the media, which with electricity being on the fritz won't exist. Many people will have to become leaders in each community, but even then the people have to calm down enough to listen. The educational system will suffer because of all of these factors.

There won't be enough transportation to transport all the children to schools. Even if we could get them there, with the population growth, we couldn't build enough housing to contain them, not to mention how much food it would take to support them. Schooling will have to go back to the local level. Like in the old days, there will be lots of smaller schools placed throughout the communitys. Even the the lessons taught will be changed drastically. We are comfortable now and have time think about nothing if we wish, but farming will have to be retaught to many. People will have to be taught how to survive without the comforts of the technology we have today. Granted, there will be the few who are pushing their minds for a new, safe form of energy. Now is when your instrumentalists and actors will shine.

People will need entertainment. The changes will a lot for most to handle and without a constant energy source, you want be able to just turn on the television. People will fall back on the older forms of amusement There will be more plays written, more music sang on small stages. This will be the key to a lot our mental survival. People need to forget. Things are going to get tough and without a way to get away from their problem, people will start to snap. Music is very good at mending people. Even today, people run to music for relief. Some write, others just listen, but it it benefits everyone.

Long story short, we have a chance when the fossil fuels run out, but it all depends on the common man. The perception of ownership is going to have to go out the window. People are going to have to keep calm and step up to the plate. The government is going to be able to fix this one all by itself. Everyone is going to have to do something they haven't had to do in awhile, think. Think of new solutions to the problems we are faced. Humans truly, only shine when faced with hardships. Morally and mentally, a challenge seems to bring out the best in people. Look at all the things that come from war. There's all the new weaponry, transportation and tons of other intelligence. The best thing created during peace times would probably be the clock. I'm pretty sure a clock isn't gonna help much here. If people figure this out we should be fine, but going off what I see now, I think we're screwed. Most people are just plain stupid.

The Misunderstanding

Ok I want to Shed some light on this whole Love thing. People tend to misunderstand it and abuse it to the point it disgusts me. So here is my take on the subject.

“The Misunderstanding”

When one hears the word love, what is the first thing that comes to mind? For most it would be; a mother, father, friend, relative, even a pet could be tied to this word. Now what about falling in love? Almost everyone would think of a significant other. There are exceptions. Some fall for art, their work and even sometimes food, but that is another issue.

Love is such a commonly misused and misunderstood word. People have unreal standards and expectations for it. It is almost always set to the standard of Shakespeare’s classic, " Romeo and Juliet." Two people find each other through what seems to be fate's will. Their eyes meet in a crowded room, as two rapidly fluttering hearts seem to dance to the same beat. They meet with eager smiles and the world seems to fade away. All that matters is how beautiful the other looks, as they gaze into each other’s eyes. Though the moment is always lost, cut short by the cruel laughter of reality. They spend the rest of their days thinking of each other and the painful what if, until they meet again. They share the magic of the first kiss and fall head first into the wonders of love. Then almost as beautifully as it is tragic, one's life is ended all too soon. The other, remaining on earth, is so heartbroken, that they choose to end it, rather than spend another day without them. Thus preserving their love forever inside the walls of time. This is all well and beautiful. Everyone hopes that one day they will find their Romeo or Juliet, but has anyone ever wondered, "What if neither Romeo nor Juliet had died?"

Could their love have withstood the test of time, or would it reveal their whole connection as infatuation? It happens to everyone at least once in his or her life. You meet someone. They're smart, beautiful and seemingly everything you want. Then time takes the new away. It exposes the feeling you mistook for love, for what it really was, a false connection made by the right settings at the right time. Those butterflies pass and you are left with the choice.

You can choose to either, stay and commit or head for the hills. The words falling in love, themselves, presents that it is a choice. If love is the metaphoric hole that you fall into, then how do you get back out? You can't fall out of a hole; there is nowhere else for you to go. You have to make the choice to climb back out, just as you made the choice to allow yourself to fall in.

The choice to love is very similar to the choice to be religious. In Christianity, one has an epiphany, if you will. They decide that there is more to live for than just themselves, so they choose to give their life to Christ and commit themselves to doing what is right. Baptism is the next step in the choice. It is a public ritual that declares your decision to all those that might look. It is the same with love. After you have been with someone long enough to let your guard down, you may have an epiphany. You realize that this person is important enough for you to trust and that you want to live for more than just yourself. You choose to open up and commit your life to that person and their happiness. Marriage is the next step. Just as Baptism is a public symbol of your faith, marriage is a public symbol of your love. It declares to everyone that you have chosen to live for each other and honestly care enough to spend the rest of your lives together. I have had my own problems with understanding and mistaking love.

It all started when I was in the eighth grade. I was positive I had fallen in love. I met a girl and spent everyday thinking about her. I spent the next two years wishing that she could be mine, even if only for a day. I got my chance in my sophomore year of high school. We dated and it was great, at first. I had gotten the girl of my dreams, but now what? After a few weeks I got to see more and more of her, until I finally realized she just got on my nerves. It was the infatuation of wanting what I couldn't have that drove me to her. It was only when I got what I wanted, that I realized that I didn't want it anymore. Later, I met another girl. She was a few years older and knew a bit more about love than I did.

I met her through an educational summer program. She understood that love wasn't something that just magically happened. It was a bond that was established through trust and time. I told her early in the relationship that I loved her, but she wouldn't do the same. It became an obsession with me to make her fall for me. I had forgotten why I had even told her what I had. All that mattered was her loving me. I eventually wore her down. She told me she loved me and she meant it. It was fun and new. We both said it, and it felt good for a while. Then, one day, I realized I was getting tired of her. I had said the words that meant commitment, but I never did commit. I eventually made up some lame excuse to blow her off. She was heartbroken. I never really understood what I had done until a later relationship.

My last major relationship pulled together and shaped how I viewed love. I went into that relationship just like I had any other relationship. I wasn't really looking for anything, but I was more cautious with what I said. She fell for me a lot faster than I did for her, just like the girl before. Only this time, I wouldn't say, "I love you." If anything I pushed her away. We were together six months and I still wouldn't tell her I loved her. I just didn't feel it. I was looking for the Romeo and Juliet connection. That's how I thought things were supposed to be. Then, we went on spring break together.

We went to Maryland to visit family she had there. It was a great vacation. We spent a lot of time together and grew a lot closer. We went to the beach and walked on the piers till sunset. Everything was great, until the ride home. We got about thirty minutes onto the interstate, then WHAM!! An 07' Cadillac slammed into us from behind. All I could hear was the screams of my girlfriend, then nothing. We flipped three times and hit a tree. As we rolled, I closed my eyes, but could still feel everything spinning. I finally opened them, when we came to a stop. I could see everything upside down. The top was crushed in, but the only window that broke was the back glass. I saw my girlfriend and her mom still hanging upside down in their seat belts, and then finally I could hear them again. I tried to ask them if they were okay, but nothing would come out. I realized that not only could I not talk but also I couldn't breathe. I kept trying to breathe, yell anything, but nothing came. The seat in front of me had slammed into my ribs, taking all of my air away. Finally, with all I had, I forced out a scream. We were trapped inside the car. I could hear on-lookers outside, some scared, others intrigued. Finally someone busted out a window and we crawled out, through the dirt and glass. When the EMTs finally arrived we were all sitting outside the wreckage. They tried to hold me down and put me in a brace, but I wouldn't let them. All I could think was, "Is she ok?" They finally allowed me to sign a waiver, saying I understood that by waving my rights to be treated that they wouldn't be held responsible if I was injured further by the ride. They told me if I was internally injured, that a certain movement could paralyze me for life. I didn't care. All that mattered to me was seeing her. I had to know if she was ok. They let me go with her in the ambulance and I held her hand the entire ride to the hospital. When we got there they separated us again. We each had to go to separate wings of the hospital. The whole time we were away from each other, she was all I could think about. Was she still okay? Was she scared? Did she need me? Then suddenly it dawned on me. My god, do I love her? When did I open so much of myself up to her? It had happened without me even knowing it. My heart made the choice for me, without telling a soul. I had let her into my head and now there was no denying it. I trusted her and now there was no reason for me not to love her. The nurse finally discharged me, because I wasn’t seriously injured. As soon as I signed my papers I headed at almost a sprint to the other side of the building to find her. It took twenty minutes and five nurses, but I finally saw her. My heart stopped in my chest and all I could do was stare. I ran up to her and took her in my arms. It was everything I could do, to not break down and cry like a small child. I told her I loved her. She was who I wanted to be with, no one else. Things went great after that. We were really happy together and spent almost two years together. Then, it seemed just as I did the girl in my past relationship, she did to me. She one day just decided that she didn't love me anymore. Maybe she never did to begin with. Maybe she did. Who knows?

That is the beauty of love. It is a choice. It can't be forced, nor kept by your own will. It is given by another and can be taken away at anytime. That's why it is so precious and sought after. It is misunderstood and misused constantly, because everyone wants to hope that they've found it. When they realize it's not something you find, they'll be fine. It is something that is given. Just because you don't fall madly in love when you first meet means nothing. It took me sixth months and a near death experience before I gave my heart to someone, but that doesn't make my love any less than that of Romeo and Juliet's. At the time, I would have died for her myself. I made that choice to devote myself to her as I did to devote my soul to Christ. Now it is up to me to climb back out of the metaphoric hole that I allowed myself to fall into.

What are kids going to be like in 50 years?

Anyone ever wondered what kinda old people our generation is making? I mean when we associate things with being old, what our generation is doing just doesn't seem like it's gonna be kosher. Even the music is going to be drastically different. Old people generally listen to gospel or old country. A few listen to some older rock but can band's like the strokes, Disturbed, Bullet for my Valentine, Modest Mouse for Christ's sake, could any of those ever be considered old rock? I guess one day we'll find out because I don't see our tastes in music changing much more than it is now. Even computers have changed the future elderly population. Most senior citizens wake up at the ass crack of dawn and go to Hardee's for breakfast and set around all morning pissing off the help because they order nothing more than coffee and maybe a biscuit here and there. Trust me I know, I worked there. Old people set on front porches or buy RVs. Our breed is going to be totally different I believe. Is it possible that we're going to have a whole generation of online gamers? No camping, no fishing with grandpa. Is the new pass time going to be let's see what grandpa bought for his computer today? A lot of people I know and have watched suggest so. Especially the World of War Craft gamers. Those guys are leading the pack. It's kinda scary if you think about it. My childhood would have never been the same without those things that grandma's and grandpa's add to the picture. Especially grandma's cooking. Everyone knows what I'm talking about. No one cooks like grandma. Hopefully McDonald's won't replace her. God know it has everything else. The weight epidemic in the U.S proves that one. Those long talks with grandpa are priceless as well. I mean what are our stories going to be? "Yea, grandson. When I was only 17 I became a level 70 dungeon mater and downed this massive dragon!!" I mean WTF?!?! Where are all the life stories that kids need to hear going to come from if you don't go out and fuck up now so you can tell them about it later?!?!!? I dunno, maybe I'm just over thinking it. Maybe when you hit 40 or something someone casts an old spell on you and your tastes and interests completely change. That's gotta be it. Hopefully, or our kids' kids are just fucked I guess.