Pre, Post-apocalyptic

What would happen to us if some conflict or cataclysmic event led to a changed societal paradigm worldwide?

Technology, gone.

What would happen if that were the case in our world?

Would a Hunger Games type of reality ensue? Maybe it'd be something like an episode of the Walking Dead, or the new Dustlands series of books by Moira Young (a solid read if you haven't heard of them yet).

Mayhem? Atrocities? Marshall law? Maybe. It's possible that many of those would be true. But, I have the sneaking suspicion that 1) sadly, lots of people would die and yet 2) life would probably go on.

It's not my intention to make light of the value of life, but the matter of how life would go on after losing technology intrigues me. It does so, because I believe it would eliminate much of the superfluous nature of our world.

Similar to the wonderful plot of Robinson Crusoe (the book, not the Pierce Brosnan movie, obviously), luxury would fade away in the light of real, hard life, and adventure.

Life would be more about survival and care for one another. About appreciating what you have and striving to make it better for those you care about. Yes, it would be difficult and it would be unenviable, but in some ways, it would spark dramatic change in the hearts of people worldwide who are stuck in the rut of living for comfort's sake.

This type of reality would throw into sharp relief the truth which resolutely declares that our lives are valuable and to be lived with purpose.

And although I'm not hoping to be rushed into this, I am hoping that we all learn to re-orient our lives to think about what really matters the most in the world. To make a real difference, throwing off extensive responsibilities that pad our comfort to put on actions that love and care for others, and treat the planet with the respect and care.

Coming into this perspective freshens you, giving you renewed vigor to live your days with.

You should not wait for something calamitous to happen before you change into this mindset—for you will later not only lament the loss of loved ones, but also your previous life that was already partially dead.