There are many times when I hate the slightest nod to conformity.  This is one of those times.  A billion other bloggers are writing about Michael Jackson today, and I was determined I wasn’t going to be one of them.  Let me tell you why I’m writing this today.  This is more about state of mind than about Michael Jackson.

            First, the disclaimer.  I’ve never been a Michael Jackson fan.  Sure, he was incredibly talented at what he did.  It just didn’t appeal to me.  Let’s not forget he likely molested young boys.

            When “Thriller” came out I was working at a small town country music radio station.  I was in my early twenties and my boss was in his early forties.  When he came into the studio excitedly one day with his copy of the album, my first thought was, “Haven’t you outgrown this stuff yet?"  Of course, I didn’t say what I was thinking.

            My decision to write this post started while perusing one of my favorite Internet news sites this morning.  I saw a commentary blurb stating that the death of Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett would keep the media buzzing for the next week.  As a result according to the commentator, the New World Order types would be overlooked and have free reign.  Of course, that’s true regarding what passes for news in the mainstream media anyway.  I guarantee you Rush Limbaugh isn’t going to fill you in on the NWO, the truth about 9/11, dangers of GMO foods, and on and on.  Jackson and Fawcett provide just one more diversion, only it’s more sensational than most.

            I would beg to differ with the snippet of commentary I read in this way.  Let’s go one more step.  While we should be aware of what the NWO elites are doing, prepping for survival will trump even any news about them and their statements and actions.  Never mind Michael Jackson.  One day we may be making such an effort to get by day to day that it won’t matter what happens in Washington, London, or Belgium.

            Here’s my perspective from recent personal experience.  This week I’ve been without central air conditioning in our home during a time of excessive heat and humidity.  While friends lent us a room air conditioner, it’s been downright hard to keep cool.  It’s physically tiring and makes one irritable.  I believe I can tolerate heat better than extreme cold, but both are unpleasant.  Furthermore, my wife has asthma and can’t breathe well in this heat and has been staying overnight with friends from church just to keep cool.

Though we’re hoping to get the air conditioning issue resolved in a few days, it’s been stressful, and it’s not over yet.  How much do you think I care about Michael Jackson?

            I’ve been endeavoring to stay hydrated and function with only a modest degree of normality.  People die in this kind of heat, and I don’t want to be one of them.  I’ve kept the computer off during the heat of the day and haven’t done a lot of the behind the scenes things I usually do related to this blog.  I’ll be glad when things get as normal as possible again.

I’ve done considerable reflecting, as one is prone to do when the routine is disrupted.  What would I do if we had no electricity at all for the portable AC and fans?  How many gadgets and audio devices do I own with odd batteries that I wouldn’t be able to charge?  What would we do without a refrigerator or freezer?  People lived without these things in decades and centuries past.  Am I ready for it if the clock is turned back 200 years?  How ready are you?  Even with survival gear and supplies, are we psychologically ready?

            How will we survive the many storm clouds threatening life as we’ve known it?  I’m referring to such things as the collapse of California’s economy and swine flu.  Not all of us will be touched by these problems directly, but we may feel the ripple effect in ways we hadn’t anticipated.

            Sure, Michael Jackson’s death reaches a lot of people, but they’re people I can’t connect with.  They’re from a different planet than I am.  I think it’s safe to say they’re not preparing for survival.  That’s no doubt good news to the Power Elites of the world.

            While it can be argued that it’s the actions of those Power Elites who are bringing about the calamities we face, when the chips are down and we’re struggling to prepare our next meal or are seeking to maintain decent shelter from the elements, I won’t care about them any more than I care about Michael Jackson today.  Will You?  We’ll see soon enough.