I know it’s mid-January, but I’m still wondering what to resolve for this new year. At my age, I’ve made all the easy changes to my habits, and tried most of the hard ones. The bad practices I have now, I’ve come to accept, will color the palette of my personality for the duration.

 

But, of course, this year it may not matter what, or if, I resolve. As I’m sure you’ve heard, a pile of prophesiers foreshadow something special about 2012 — particularly the upcoming winter solstice - that may forever alter the nature of our tenancy here on Earth. A sort of Y2.012K.

 

The range of speculations, theories, projections, pronouncements, prophecies, and general doomsayings run far and wide. Some of the best include:

 

- Jesus will at last return. Although rumors He’s coming back to be the Broncos’ quarterbacks coach remain unconfirmed.

 

- A rogue planet called Nibiru, presently lurking behind the Sun, will strike the Earth in the latest round of interplanetary bocci.

 

- The sun will cross the galactic plane, thereby tipping … something. NASA scientists assure us that this will happen, but not for several million years. And even then, don’t worry: It won’t spill your drink.

 

- The Earth’s magnetic poles will flip, thereby tipping … something else. Those same scientists say that while this will also be true — someday — when it does, the only difference will be we’ll drive south to get to Silverton.

 

- By far the most popular of the apocalyptic scenarios, of course, is the end of the two-thousand-year-old Mayan “Long Count” Calendar. By the stone-calendar’s figuring, our present cycle of the Long Count began in 3114 B.C., and continued for 5,126 years — ending on Dec. 21, 2012 A.D. The Mayans, some argue, ended their calendar there because they knew that is the end of the world. I, myself, believe the Mayans knew they’d be switching to Google Calendar this year.

 

- My personal favorite 2012 prediction, though, is TimeWave Zero. A rather complicated theory – or, math theorem, really – posited by psychedelic guru (and Paonia native) Terence McKenna, TimeWave Zero is a math formula that claims to map our space-time universe as it flows in flowering fractal patterns, like a swirling oil slick, through the greater “hyperspace” that we cannot see, or possibly comprehend.

 

McKenna says that the way our known universe boils and eddies in hyperspace influences and shapes the events that we know of as “history.” Therefore, being able to see this flowing — McKenna has software that overlays the timeline of history on a graph of his formula — is to be able to predict things. Like where that Universal flow suddenly falls into a sort of transdimensional suckhole. When? You guessed it: Dec. 22, 2012.

 

All fun stuff, aside from the planetary destruction/mass dying-off/end of civilization parts. Nonetheless, no matter how unfounded the claims, preposterous the propositions, or irrational the rationales, it’s always inspiring and reassuring to behold the range of imagination fermenting inside our fellow human beings.

 

I’m not buying any of it, though.

 

Yet … count me in.

 

See, I’ve decided to become an apocalyptist. I am ready to embrace the the Purging of the World, our Ascendance to the Next Level of Being, the Transformation via the Eschaton, the Coming of the New Kingdom, the Birth of the Cosmic Consciousness, and the Reign of the Rainbow People. Not because I think something’s going to happen on the next winter solstice (although some snow might be nice), but because regardless of whether or not anything happens, what we’d need to do to face a millennial-level shift I think would be good things to do anyway.

 

Consider mine an anti-prophecy: The Great Unknowing. I heartily admit I haven’t a clue what lies ahead. But does it matter? Meteor, messiah, madness, or hyperspatial hydraulic – or nuclear war, global warming, economic implosion, or the Cubs’ winning the World Series – the fact is, we don’t know, we can’t know, and, well, I’m just not  going to fret about it anymore. I’m just going to wait and see what unfolds.

 

And since I’m hereby declaring this the New Millennium By Choice, I’m going to do what needs to be done to get through any new hand the Great Cosmic Casino may deal us after reshuffling our karmic deck. Which means, I’m going to do what humans have always done – what has gotten us through disasters, upheavals, climate changes, and even ice ages before: Be who I most am. Love and care for my family and friends. Learn how to do stuff myself. Collaborate with my neighbors. Get out on and stand up for the land. Savor my days, however many those might be.

 

Basically, take responsibility for my journey.

 

So, here’s my new year’s resolution for 2012: To not change anything, for a change. And to get better at the things that don’t change. Because you never know what’s coming.

– Ken Wright