What If . . .?!?!

I had a vision of the end of the world yesterday.

Actually, I was just at the grocery for my weekly supply run, but, thanks to the frenzy whipped up by dire weather forecasts, I found myself shoulder-to-shoulder with about 2,000 frantic shoppers as panic set it.  I saw a lot of wild-eyed grabbing, ruthless line-cutting, & grim emotional shutdown–all because of a prediction of a bit of snow.

The problem is, we humans are hard-wired to imagine the worst in any situation so we can be prepared to face the worst in case it comes.  Unfortunately, the worst rarely gives warning, which means we waste a lot of our lives preparing for disasters that never materialize.  What if we get snowed in?  What if the electricity goes out?  What if our pipes freeze?  What if we get sick or injured?  What if society breaks down & gangs of looters/rapists/zombies break down our door?  What if we run out of toilet paper?

Oh, humans!  Only a really big-brained species can turn a perfectly beautiful snowfall into the Apocalypse.  Imagination is our greatest asset, yet we use it to torment ourselves, spending most of our lives so stressed out we can never just relax & enjoy.  Whenever I find myself being victimized by my over-active imagination, I always ask myself one simple question:  what’s the worst that can happen?  What if I get snowed in w/no electricity & the pipes burst & I get sick & injured & hoards of looters/rapists/zombies attack & then, horror of horrors, I also run out of toilet paper? 

Well, either I’ll survive or I won’t, but all the worrying in the world won’t make the experience one bit better.  As far as I can see, the worst possible thing that could happen is that I’ll spend my few precious moments on this earth preparing for an Apocalypse that never comes when I could’ve been laughing, playing, or snuggling w/someone as the pretty snow piles up.