Ready or not, here it comes ... maybe
The end is nigh.
The end of the world has been predicted a few times already. Just this past May, Church of God, Preparing for the Kingdom of God’s Ronald Weinland declared the Rapture was coming and Jesus Christ would return to Earth. He’d previously predicted the Rapture would happen in September 2011 but changed the date. He urged people to get their souls in order as Christians would be taken to heaven, and the rest would be left to suffer a literal hell on Earth.
Christian personality Harold Camping has predicted the Rapture a few times as well. Throw Christian leader Pat Robertson in there, too. He’s set dates for the destruction of the Earth, as well.
All the dates passed without so much as a whimper. Even though I believed Weinland to be a whack job, I couldn’t help but hold my breath just for a second on May 27, as I waited to see if I was about to be sucked up like a vacuum sucks dirt.
There are still predictions that have yet to be proven wrong, but none so prevalent as that of the Mayans. Dec. 21 marks the end of the Mayan calendar, so many people are saying that it marks the end of days.
While many argue against the prophesied date, there are still those who believe. And some are cashing in.
Reportedly, some hotels are offering packages geared specifically for going out in a big way. The Curtis in Denver offers the “Party Like There’s No To-Maya” package, which allows the patron to rent out the entire 15th floor. Amenities include food, drinks, limousine service, the services of a professional tattoo artist, an in-room amenity kit with gas masks, anti-radiation tablets and freeze-dried food. Oh, and if the world doesn’t end, you get a free breakfast the next morning. How’s that for convenient?
The last few days, I’ve heard a few people hoping the Mayans are correct as they feel President Barack Obama’s re-election signals doomsday is near. Oh, and the fact that a few states declared gay marriage to be A-OK while others legalized marijuana must mean Christianity’s downfall is imminent. The way that some have whined and carried on, I almost wish the Mayans were correct.
I’m not going to turn this into a political tirade. I will say that I’ve had to use the words “ridiculous” and “nincompoops” recently but I’ll leave it at that.
Maybe it’s the fact that I just celebrated my 31st birthday, but I’ve certainly been thinking a lot about life. Back in May, I knew the Rapture wasn’t coming but as the days counted down, I couldn’t help but ponder how I was living my life. Did those I love know I cared? Was I living to my potential? Was it time to try skydiving? All that stuff. You see, America is changing, like it or not. And maybe, just maybe, I need to change with it.
The Rapture didn’t happen, and I don’t think the Mayans were correct that we have roughly a month to live, but maybe it’s not such a bad idea to believe it anyway. Country singer Tim McGraw recorded a song a couple of years ago called “Live Like You Were Dying” that urged listeners to do just that. Mayans or no Mayans, life is way too short to spend it worrying about who won an election. It’s definitely too short to be angry and bitter about it, making all those around you miserable. Life is about living, and there are too many of us stalled and stagnant. That includes yours truly. I’m not saying you need to blow your savings on a dream vacation, but for crying out loud, find your happy place. Try something new. Take a walk on the wild side. Just get out there and live. After all, you could be dead in 41 days.
Amanda Greever is assistant managing editor at The Daily Times. She writes a weekly column in the Sunday Life section. She can be reached at 981-1161 or (amanda.greever@thedailytimes.com) Follow her on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com _editor.
