It's The End - How Would You Spend Your Last Days?

[Peace Of Mind]

I didn't want to hijack Phoenix's thread but it got me thinking about what I'd do if it was reported that life on earth for everybody was coming to an end in a short time.  How would you spend your last days?

I personally rather not know but those that said we'd probably find out any way are most likely correct how do you think you'd react, act or what would you do?

If I knew when the final days would be I'd buy as much Lobster, high end Champagnes and wines and big ole decadent desserts (and any other things those close to me, including my cats, like) we would enjoy and just have a good food and wine orgy until we passed out.   If I see major explosions around me I'd take pain killers from old surgeries that I have.  I really hate pain. 


Also, would you believe it?  How would we know somebody didn't hack computers with this info. or it's just another  Orson Welles War of the Worlds situation?  Link for those that don't know about it:  en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_War_of_the_Worlds_(radio_drama)

Discuss!

[Cookies Galore]

Eat, drink, fuck. Repeat.

[milee]

If it was something I could verify was true, then:

1) Gather our various weaponry for self protection.

2) Pull the boys out of school and not tell them what's going on.

3) Steal large yacht from local harbor (there are a ton that are only sailed once a year by out of towners - target one of those)

4) Sail away and enjoy the family for the last few days.

5) Poison the dessert we eat the last evening the day before the end (again without telling everybody.)

6) Tell my family how much I love them, snuggle up to them and go to sleep to the rocking of the ocean.

[billisonboard]

Backpack into the Goat Rocks Wilderness. Just be hiking or camping at the end.

[Virgil Showlion]

I'd find the ocarina of time and run to the far ends of the Earth waking the guardians while wearing a variety of masks.

Of course, the trouble is that I'd have to do it over and over and over again.

[Tiny]

I imagine that with all the chaos going on (not ultra violent - just people rushing about trying to get from point A, get what they need, and then rushing to PointB)  I think I'd just stay home.   And let the cats eat as much gushy food as they wanted. 

I'm thinking elaborate plans would be like trying to get all your christmas shopping done (buying food and gifts) on Christmas Eve while needing to provide dinner for 20 on Christmas day.   You and everyone else would be out rushing around.  That's the generic you.

[Peace Of Mind]

Mar 12, 2015 17:26:26 GMT -5 Sum Dum Gai said:

I want to say with my family enjoying good food followed by a handful of pills.  What kind of timeline are we talking about?  Do we get a few hours notice, a few days, a few weeks, a few months?

I was thinking we'd look at it like you would a Hurricane.  There is some time (a week or two?) but not a whole lot.  But it's the government so how much time do you think they'd give us? 

When I think of the chaos it would create they'd probably wait until the last minute but I have no idea what they'd do.  Create your own scenario and share it with us.  You can use all those time frames as an example if you have time to be that wordy. 

ocarina of time

Starts Googling... 

[Virgil Showlion]

Mar 12, 2015 17:33:29 GMT -5 Peace Of Mind said:

Starts Googling... 

It's an old classic game where the premise is that the world is coming to an end in three days, but the protagonist has an ocarina (an ancient wind instrument) that resets time back to the beginning of the first day.

It bears similarities to the recent "Edge of Tomorrow" movie in that the objective is to save the world by living through the same interval of time over and over again.

[midjd]

I would panic. If it was just DH and me I'd do the hedonism thing but having a toddler complicates things. I'd probably be so beside myself at the thought of DD dying or suffering I wouldn't be good for much. I'm not sure I could go the murder-suicide route.

I would not want to know it was coming.

[kittensaver]

This idea is very interesting. I have a dear friend who is a psychotherapist. He says he does a similar exercise with clients who are stuck in a rut or are struggling with major life changes. He plays a game called What Would You Do If You Only Had Six Months To Live? He asks clients to write down a list (the length doesn't really matter) of what they would do/what changes they would make if they knew their time was finite and soon.

Clients typically say things like: quit my job and travel the world; finish my novel; spend more time with my spouse/kids; eat and drink whatever I wanted and not worry about getting fat; finish up all my art projects. Etc. You get the idea. Then he turns around and says: these are all the things that are missing in your life. What can you do to get out of your rut (or off of your treadmill) and start incorporating some of them into your life now because you want them, and not because the fear of The End is hanging over you?

Of course the Sudden Doomsday Scenario on this thread is different - - BUT nonetheless I still see bits and pieces of what kind(s) of satisfaction(s) some folks might be missing in their lives peeking through  Just an observation

[cktc]

Well, when my first marriage ended I called everyone who would listen to me, didn't eat or sleep for three days, and cried a lot. I can't imagine I'd handle the end of the world with any more creativity or grace.

[Shooby]

Mar 12, 2015 17:09:46 GMT -5 Cookies Galore said:

Eat, drink, fuck. Repeat.

You forgot poop.

[Cookies Galore]

Mar 12, 2015 19:48:04 GMT -5 Shooby said:

Mar 12, 2015 17:09:46 GMT -5 Cookies Galore said:

Eat, drink, fuck. Repeat.

You forgot poop.

I ain't got time for that!

[Ryan]

I'd probably pack up the family and head up to my parents cabin.  I figure there would be less panic up there since everyone is a little more self-sufficient and it's not as densely populated.  It's my kids favorite spot in the world so we'd just enjoy the last few days until an asteroid hits the earth.

This is depressing

[Tennesseer]

Mar 12, 2015 19:48:04 GMT -5 Shooby said:

Mar 12, 2015 17:09:46 GMT -5 Cookies Galore said:

Eat, drink, fuck. Repeat.

You forgot poop.

With thanks to Iggy aka IG for posting this meme on the meme thread.

[Deleted]

This is hard and it depends on exactly how much time is left .

If just a few days I would visit or talk to all friends & family members and thank them for everything they have done to help me have a great life.

I would make sure the house & yard are neatened up so if anyone survived they wouldn't have to clean up after me.

 I would probably hire a hot air balloon person to take me up and down the river.

I would  finish whatever book I was reading and try not to start another.

I would order & not cook all my favorite foods. I would buy a carton of smokes and smoke. I would buy a few joints and smoke. I would buy my favorite coffees and wines and beers and drink.

I would let my cats go outside with me and DH, plop in a lawn chair with no sun screen, start a fire, play some music,  watch the river and clouds go by, listen to the birds sing, and wait.

[lexxy703]

I would find a local drug dealer, buy out whatever he has on hand & party like it was the end of the world!

[imawino]

Mar 12, 2015 22:47:02 GMT -5 @tbird said:

Mar 12, 2015 20:49:02 GMT -5 Cookies Galore said:

I ain't got time for that!

ain't nobody got time for that!

On the other hand......12 hours left of existence......do you really want spend that time constipated?

You make a valid point.  So I guess it's resolved - there will be time for bodily functions, but not the leisurely "I'm hiding in a quiet space with a Sudoku" kind of time? 

[HoneyBBQ]

You guys should read the Policeman trilogy.

I'm with with Bill. Go hiking somewhere beautiful with my family and bring lots of wine. Hope it kills us all while we sleep. 

[8 Bit WWBG]

I don't envy the poor poster who has to follow that...

[joemilitary]

Grab my bug out bag and head to my bunker

<<now I am glad that I spent all that money on doomsday prepping>>

[Robert not Bobby]

Well, these dsystopian scenarios always throw me off, somewhat.

The making love has been said, I suppose (still nice), the holding my children has been said...more than nice.

Just coming to terms with myself, and my experiences and trying to make sense of them all...that would be a start

you know what the old Greeks used to say about an unexamined life...if you don't, take the time to learn.

[Virgil Showlion]

POM's description of what she would do clearly implies that Earth's imminent doom wouldn't be common knowledge.

It would be all but impossible to convince me that a 100% fatal global cataclysm was approaching. Notwithstanding that, my actions immediately preceding the cataclysm would depend heavily on how I'd been convinced.

[Deleted]

Mar 13, 2015 15:30:06 GMT -5 Sum Dum Gai said:

I would probably hire a hot air balloon person to take me up and down the river.

The world is about to end and you think some guy is going to trade some of his little bit of remaining time for a little cash so you can sightsee? Good luck with that. It would probably be easier to find a guy selling a hot air balloon for next to nothing and try to take yourself. If the world was ending, in say 3 days, and I had a hot air balloon I wasn't planning to use before the end the approximate value of the balloon is like one bottle of wine, or maybe a pack of cigarettes.

That's why I haven't answered the question yet. Here are my assumptions about this scenario;
1 The end is completely unavoidable. Something like a massive meteor heading directly for earth and we don't see it until it's only a few days from impact.

2 I'm nobody special, so I don't have any advanced warning. I hear about it the same time everyone else does. If some people do get advanced warning, I'm not one of them.

So, considering those constraints, I can't purchase any goods or services. The people offering them aren't going to spend their last two days of life at work. Neither are the owners of the businesses, because honestly why bother? They wouldn't be able to spend any money they might make anyway. When somebody buys something from me and pays with plastic it takes two days before the money hits my account, and that's with the bank and merchant processor open, having employees, etc. Operating a store during the last two days of earth would be a total waste.

So money is essentially worthless. No place open to spend it. Nobody willing to trade goods or labor for it because they'd have no way to spend it.

Goods, while not for sale, are still avalaible. There's a Walgreens near my house. Place is chock full of drugs. Anybody could walk in and take them. The employees won't be there to stop you. The police sure as fuck aren't spending their last two days arresting looters for stealing from a company that's doomed and doesn't give a fuck anyway.

People would all be freaked out, angry, depressed, possibly suicidal, some of them completely out of their minds, so while goods are all free for the taking you have to wonder if it's worth interacting with other people to get them. Could be dangerous, and don't nobody want to spend their last day or two on earth bleeding out in aisle 14 of Walmart because some asshole wanted the last Blueray of Armageddon a little more than you did so they shanked you for it.

A lot of people would indulge their baser instincts. If the world is ending anyway you might as well live it up while you can, so a ton of people will be drunk/high, and have pretty low personal boundaries and inhibitions. I wouldn't want to be a women in a crowded place because the threat of rape would be crazy. It would be a bit like the most out of control frat party ever. I have a wife and two daughters, so it's something I'd have to watch out for on their behalf.

So, I'd want to avoid people, money is worthless, anywhere crowded could be extremely dangerous. You'd definitely want to be armed.

Honestly, just grabbing whatever food is in the house, our camping stuff, getting in the car and driving into the wilderness sounds fairly decent at this point. Or stay home, sit on the roof drinking, and shoot anyone that comes within 100 yards of the house. Honestly I think there will be large numbers of people doing both those thing.

Ok I would beg for the balloon ride. DH knows a couple people and I'm sure they would let me tag along for one of their last trips.

I'm pretty sure I'd want to stay home . Why would people be trying to get to your house? Just drunk /drugged people you mean? I don't think there is anything here people would want that they couldn't get more/ better of somewhere else.

[Tennesseer]

Mar 13, 2015 16:16:25 GMT -5 Robert not Bobby said:

Well, these dsystopian scenarios always throw me off, somewhat.

The making love has been said, I suppose (still nice), the holding my children has been said...more than nice.

Just coming to terms with myself, and my experiences and trying to make sense of them all...that would be a start

you know what the old Greeks used to say about an unexamined life...if you don't, take the time to learn.

Unless you are a sex freak who gets off on complete annihilation catastrophes, I'm thinking not too many guys are going to get it up and excited knowing they are going to die in a day or two.

[Virgil Showlion]

Mar 13, 2015 16:26:48 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

Unless you are a sex freak who gets off on complete annihilation catastrophes, ..

Yeah, but I mean... who isn't, right?

Amiright, guys?

[milee]

Mar 13, 2015 15:30:06 GMT -5 Sum Dum Gai said:

I would probably hire a hot air balloon person to take me up and down the river.

The world is about to end and you think some guy is going to trade some of his little bit of remaining time for a little cash so you can sightsee? Good luck with that. It would probably be easier to find a guy selling a hot air balloon for next to nothing and try to take yourself. If the world was ending, in say 3 days, and I had a hot air balloon I wasn't planning to use before the end the approximate value of the balloon is like one bottle of wine, or maybe a pack of cigarettes.

That's why I haven't answered the question yet. Here are my assumptions about this scenario;
1 The end is completely unavoidable. Something like a massive meteor heading directly for earth and we don't see it until it's only a few days from impact.

2 I'm nobody special, so I don't have any advanced warning. I hear about it the same time everyone else does. If some people do get advanced warning, I'm not one of them.

So, considering those constraints, I can't purchase any goods or services. The people offering them aren't going to spend their last two days of life at work. Neither are the owners of the businesses, because honestly why bother? They wouldn't be able to spend any money they might make anyway. When somebody buys something from me and pays with plastic it takes two days before the money hits my account, and that's with the bank and merchant processor open, having employees, etc. Operating a store during the last two days of earth would be a total waste.

So money is essentially worthless. No place open to spend it. Nobody willing to trade goods or labor for it because they'd have no way to spend it.

Goods, while not for sale, are still avalaible. There's a Walgreens near my house. Place is chock full of drugs. Anybody could walk in and take them. The employees won't be there to stop you. The police sure as fuck aren't spending their last two days arresting looters for stealing from a company that's doomed and doesn't give a fuck anyway.

People would all be freaked out, angry, depressed, possibly suicidal, some of them completely out of their minds, so while goods are all free for the taking you have to wonder if it's worth interacting with other people to get them. Could be dangerous, and don't nobody want to spend their last day or two on earth bleeding out in aisle 14 of Walmart because some asshole wanted the last Blueray of Armageddon a little more than you did so they shanked you for it.

A lot of people would indulge their baser instincts. If the world is ending anyway you might as well live it up while you can, so a ton of people will be drunk/high, and have pretty low personal boundaries and inhibitions. I wouldn't want to be a women in a crowded place because the threat of rape would be crazy. It would be a bit like the most out of control frat party ever. I have a wife and two daughters, so it's something I'd have to watch out for on their behalf.

So, I'd want to avoid people, money is worthless, anywhere crowded could be extremely dangerous. You'd definitely want to be armed.

Honestly, just grabbing whatever food is in the house, our camping stuff, getting in the car and driving into the wilderness sounds fairly decent at this point. Or stay home, sit on the roof drinking, and shoot anyone that comes within 100 yards of the house. Honestly I think there will be large numbers of people doing both those thing.

Unfortunately, I agree and that's why I proposed the end I did.  Protects us from the craziness that I suspect would happen, gives us a way to have some good times together and go out on our own terms.  Sad that we think that anarchy and chaos would be unavoidable, but I'd rather plan to avoid it and be mistaken than have our final minutes be terror or pain filled.

[milee]

Mar 13, 2015 16:22:34 GMT -5 @xmascookie said:

Mar 13, 2015 15:30:06 GMT -5 Sum Dum Gai said:

Why would people be trying to get to your house? Just drunk /drugged people you mean? I don't think there is anything here people would want that they couldn't get more/ better of somewhere else.

Some of the cynicism probably relates to what you have experienced in life. If you've not experienced much crime or dealt with many mentally ill or just plain evil people, it would probably be hard to picture what would happen and why. It probably also has to do with your beliefs on who commits crime and why they do it and maybe even more importantly, why people currently refrain from committing crimes.

I guess I've seen and dealt with enough that I suspect without the controls we have now - not just police, but people watching out for each other, fear of exposure and shaming in our social structures - there are a reasonably large subset of the population that would feel free to indulge in behavior that they refrain from now.  Theft, assault, rape in most cases, some even darker things in others.  After all, there would be zero fear of being caught and punished so only our own personal moral compass would stop us from acting on things.  I suspect there's enough of a population that is curious about certain things but currently not curious enough to risk large jail time or social shame to indulge their curiosity... that would not feel the need to restrain themselves in the end of the world scenario. Heck, look at the recent riots and looting in Ferguson and other areas; much of that wasn't a protest, it was people taking advantage of chaos to steal, act out and hurt other people because they felt there would be no consequence.

As for why they'd want to come to your house - they'd be taking a peek in any house they came upon or felt the urge to check out.  Until they check it out, how do they know you don't have good drugs, premium booze or vulnerable children? 

[milee]

Have you been to Pompeii or is that a stock photo? I'll bet it's an interesting - if sad - place to visit now.

[Deleted]

Mar 13, 2015 17:19:15 GMT -5 milee said:

Mar 13, 2015 16:22:34 GMT -5 @xmascookie said:

Why would people be trying to get to your house? Just drunk /drugged people you mean? I don't think there is anything here people would want that they couldn't get more/ better of somewhere else.

Some of the cynicism probably relates to what you have experienced in life. If you've not experienced much crime or dealt with many mentally ill or just plain evil people, it would probably be hard to picture what would happen and why. It probably also has to do with your beliefs on who commits crime and why they do it and maybe even more importantly, why people currently refrain from committing crimes.

I guess I've seen and dealt with enough that I suspect without the controls we have now - not just police, but people watching out for each other, fear of exposure and shaming in our social structures - there are a reasonably large subset of the population that would feel free to indulge in behavior that they refrain from now.  Theft, assault, rape in most cases, some even darker things in others.  After all, there would be zero fear of being caught and punished so only our own personal moral compass would stop us from acting on things.  I suspect there's enough of a population that is curious about certain things but currently not curious enough to risk large jail time or social shame to indulge their curiosity... that would not feel the need to restrain themselves in the end of the world scenario. Heck, look at the recent riots and looting in Ferguson and other areas; much of that wasn't a protest, it was people taking advantage of chaos to steal, act out and hurt other people because they felt there would be no consequence.

As for why they'd want to come to your house - they'd be taking a peek in any house they came upon or felt the urge to check out.  Until they check it out, how do they know you don't have good drugs, premium booze or vulnerable children? 

I have some experience with mentally ill people but probably not truly evil and definitely not much crime.

I really can't envision the horrific scenario you guys can. At least not here.

I admit I could be just naïve .