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Not So Glum that the End of the World Didn’t Come

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For most of us, the fact that the end of the world didn’t happen May 21st at 6 p.m. was probably about as important as deciding what socks to wear and searching for funny YouTube videos and news articles about the Rapture.

It’s interesting that we even cared about the predicted Judgment Day to begin with. Why did the media bother to cover this story so extensively anyway?

Some might argue that it satisfied a few important news values. It was bizarre, given that it was certainly not grounded in science and was simply a belief held by a select group of people. It did have the potential to impact everyone on the planet. And let’s not forget that it was timely, considering the looming “countdown to Armageddon” ending with May 21 at 6 p.m., which, by the way, was not scheduled for one particular time zone.

But the reason this story was as big as it was goes beyond news values. It reflects a more innate human need to share in mythical experiences. Let me explain.

The Myth-Factor

Myths, legends and superstitions bring us together, as peoples and cultures, whether we like to admit it or not. We have a lot in common with many other people: shared education, shared histories, shared stories, shared values, etc. Most reasonable people believe that killing someone else is wrong, point blank. Westerners are apt to get a strange feeling of discomfort and dread should they break a mirror or see the numbers 666 standing alone.

The reason that we have these shared beliefs is partly because we have been exposed to similar stories, i.e. myths, legends and superstitions, with certain messages or morals attached to them. Laws, education systems and personal experiences also align us with certain ways of thinking and behaving.

Culturally Normal

Our shared beliefs are grounded in our shared cultural languages. And those cultural languages are based on stories and experiences from our childhoods and upbringings. Many of us grew up reading the same books, going to the same movies and visiting the same department stores, supermarkets and amusement parks. Who hasn’t seen a Disney movie? Who didn’t read a Beatrix Potter book? Myths are part of that cultural fabric. They bind us together, help us to make sense of the world, form opinions and make judgments.

End of the World and Group Think

People tend to rally around a common cause. We cheer for sports teams, side with one front in times of war, tune into an address from a prominent figure when it’s an “urgent matter of public interest.” We like to know that we’re part of a team, especially when the stakes are high. The possible end of the world as we know it would be considered a fairly high-stakes kind of situation.

It’s comforting to check-in and see whose team we would be on if the world was really coming to an end. What would we collectively do? What lessons can we, the human race, learn about who we are and what we’re doing on this world? Like many myths, even when disproved, they still teach a lesson.

The Rapture is a religious concept. It can also be considered a myth based on an end-of-the-world scenario. Such end-of-the-world myths are hardly unique to one religion or group. You don’t need to explain the concept of the world being destroyed by some cosmic force to most people. Most of us have heard stories about that already. We’ve probably had reference of “the impending end” imparted to us by the news media, in books and from friends. That’s what makes it interesting. We know what that means. We also know that it’s unlikely to happen anytime soon.

We knew that the world wasn’t about to end on May 21st and that we would be back to work the next day and/ or the day after, but we still got wrapped up in the myth.  It was interesting because it would be so terrible if it actually came to pass.

That’s what captures our interest. We know that others know exactly what this whole end of the world thing is all about. We know it would be sad if the world ends and we know that humanity as we know it would cease to exist. What separates this kind of story from a story about a murder or a teacher saving a child from a lake is that we can all relate through the shared cultural language of myth. That’s what made it a powerful news story. That’s why it was covered as extensively as it was.

Side Note

Interestingly, the Apocalypse is also a longstanding source of amusement for many people.

In fact, much of the fallout from all the doomsday predictions this time round has been comical. It’s funny to identify recurring themes in human history and reflect on how this myth in particular has been a prevalent part of the human psyche from time immemorial.

Don’t be Miffed

The Armageddon myth, unrealized yet again, united us for a brief moment. I bet you remember where you were May 21 at 6 p.m. and that you will likely remember that for a long time.

The news media coverage captured the moment, the zeitgeist. It was news because it’s grounded in our common myths and legends. And, who knew, this time they might have been right.

The Funding/ Awareness-raising Facebook Blog Phenomenon

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You have lots of Facebook friends, you believe in a cause, you have some clever links that people might want to send to their friends, why not start a Facebook blog?

Take Michael Schratter’s Facebook blog where he talks about his voyage around the planet by bike to raise awareness, expectations and donations for mental health causes.

Sure Schratter posts the typically stuff you would find on a travel blog, such as that he’s: “has had 3 wonderful days with Deb in Panama City.”

But the next post is more what you would expect a friend to share with you via Facebook, a link to some of his latest column in 24 Hours about celebrities who have suffered from mental illness. And an spoof ad called “‘Schizo:The Movie’ trailer.” 

Unlike traditional blogs, a Facebook blog (as I’m calling it) gets immediately viewed by your Facebook friends. Now they know what you’re up to, can friend your personal page or like your fundraising page. Now all their friends know what you’re doing, too. Your friends (old and new) and fans can now post comments below your posts, creating an ongoing streaming dialogue between you and your social network. This is one of the greatest strengths of this approach to covering an event or fundraiser because it can amass a large amount of support and interest instantly.

The key thing to do when using an approach like this for your next campaign is to get a lot of friends on your Facebook account and post only information that will be interesting to your network and will generate a reaction.

The truth about black ice: It hurts

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It was a beautiful and sunny day-after-boxing-day. I was riding my Raleigh 21-speed down the steep 8th Avenue hill heading out of the University of British Columbia in Vancouver when I lost control and ended up sliding down pavement on my stomach.

My bike reflector smashed to bits, same goes for my bike light, and I watched for an agonizing two seconds as my two-wheeled companion slid from underneath me over the asphalt.

It pains me to admit it, but the cuts and bruises I received don’t amount to the mental agony I suffered knowing that my spill was completely preventable.

Sure, on a typical day I wiz down hills, reassured that the ground beneath me will have enough traction to keep my rubber firmly on the road. The truth is that, particularly in winter, it’s safer to take nothing for granted.

Canadian statistics show that around 7,500 cyclists are seriously injured each year and close to 70,000 find themselves on hospital beds, as I did.

With this experience I now join the growing number of cyclists that are either killed or injured at an intersection, traffic signal or traffic control sign. Not that that’s a club anyone is excited to join.

I ended up with a pretty serious gash above my right hip, two cut up knees and a destroyed jacket and pair of bike pants.

I was lucky though. It could have been much worse.

Two hundred and sixty-three cyclists were killed between 2000 and 2004 in Canada, according to Statistics Canada. In the United States, 698 died in road accidents in 2007 and more than half a million were treated in hospital emergency rooms. The bulk of these accidents occurred in cities, where I can safely say riding is a significantly more hazard-laden enterprise than it should be.

It happened on a steep hill, in winter, with visible frost on the ground. But, like many others before me, I assumed that I was immune to the effects of winter on roads. Surely someone would salt slippery spots and protect me. Regardless, slipping on black ice is something that happens to other people, not me. I’m invincible.

Back to reality, the road isn’t always what it appears to be. While I might fall into my routine, that kind of habit-forming regularity shouldn’t make me lose sight of the real dangers that exist on the road. Which is why, in retrospect, I can appreciate the foresight of my fellow cyclists who slow down well in advance of an intersection.

While previously I might have seen them as slow-moving obstacles, today I can relate to their precautious approach, something I will hopefully be emulating a lot more in the future.

After all, commuting by bike isn’t a race. It’s something that should be enjoyed at a moderate pace, for a lifetime. I’m glad to still be around to savour the road and the freedom that comes with cycling.

The lesson I’ve learned: exercise caution on the road, doing so could save you several hundred bucks in gear, and a lot of skin.

Transportation is key for a greener Canada

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Too many cars on  the road and not enough buses and means for alternative transportation is a common theme in many Metro Vancouver jurisdictions. As I reported in the North Shore News, the top of mind issue for many District of North Vancouver residents is better transportation infrastructure. A principle concern is making roads safer and more accessible. To achieve this, more transportation options need to be made available.

I am all for the bicycle-lift system, Trampe, being considered for parts of North Vancouver’s notoriously steep Lonsdale Avenue. Cyclists could use a little boost on the North Shore.

Separate bike lanes and more car-free zones are likely to ease traffic congestion by getting people out of their cars.

The BC SCRAP-IT program is also a great way to encourage people to trade in their old gas-guzzler for a new electric system for their bikes. Electric assists are an under-reported innovation that is likely to revolutionize how people commute. The issue now is when and how e-bikes will be regulated.

If we are serious about reducing greenhouse gasses in Canada, we have to start changing how we look at transportation – both of people and goods. Transportation accounts for 30 per cent of our greenhouse gas emissions. Another one fifth of Canada’s pollution comes from energy production. According to Environment Canada, we’re losing the battle over fossil fuel pollution from automobiles. Few people are opting totake a bus to get to where they’re going and many more,  it appears, are driving cars with each passing day.

The reality is that a workable alternative to the convenient car has yet to be found. Bicycles are a viable alternative, but the infrastructure that would encourage more people to take a bike is lacking in most cities. Mainly, many people still feel that riding a bike on city streets is unsafe and inconvenient. There are more accessories than ever that can make cycling conducive to modern lifestyles. But, without dedicated pathways – particularly ones that are separate from roads and parked cars – cycling will remain a pursuit for those with enough courage and tenacity to compete for road-space with faster-moving, bigger and heavier vehicles.

The solution? Policy, policy and politics.

It’s going to happen. There is no doubt in my mind that governments are taking a very serious look at how they are going to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, and meet the increasing demand for such action by their constituents. The question is when and how far will policies go?