What's going to happen

People always ask me "Why?!" I moved from New York City to rural Colorado, from the center of the universe to a little town of less than 1000, nestled in a valley in the mountains. I generally rattle off my stock of reasons. What I generally don't say is that a large factor was just a feeling that it was very desirable to get to the country and learn to live in harmony with nature.

Today, I was talking to a neighbor on my street whom I've only spoken to one time before. I had bought his wife's small kiln at their tag sale. We got on the subject of work and life, and I mentioned how I'm "into" gardening, canning, etc. "doing things for yourself"... His reply to that was: "Well, you have to, because things are going to get harder over the coming years, and you are going to have to know how to do those kind of things, or you will die."

There was nothing previous in our conversation that pointed in this direction, and neither is the guy crazy at all. It was just an opinion he holds, and he is simple enough not to second guess it or worry about saying it to someone he barely knows.

This is not the first time I have heard this either. I have heard it a lot in the past 3 years. There is a little voice saying it in me too. Is this just pessimism and fear?

I generally listen to that little voice inside in making decisions regardless, but I am curious now if actually more people are hearing that themselves, and if so, if that is their individual response to their past or present, or part of a collective response to the global future.

And, it's Carl Jung's birthday today.