Apocalypse -- Now?

Mother Earth seems to be a bit nauseated lately, what with the upchucking of fish onto seashores and birds dropping straight to the ground from the sky all over the world within the past 5 days. From Sweden to Beebe, Arkansas, a strange phenom is occurring with the Heavens spitting out birds with “blunt force trauma” and the oceans gurgling-out thousands of fish in various stages of decay. In New Zealand, for example, the fish that washed-up on the shores were without their eyes. Yikes! It’s as if Mother Nature is writing a screenplay for a horror film to be directed by Alfred Hitchcock and Steven Spielberg, respectively. (That is, if Mr. Hitchcock were still alive and Mr. Spielberg could get back to his “Jaws” roots.)

WTF is going on? “Experts’ are saying that it’s all just “coincidence” and not to place too much emphasis on what, if any, meaning could be attached to these mysterious and creepy happenings. Apparently it’s not uncommon, although rare, for thousands of birds to simply drop from the sky en masse from being hit by, or bumping into, “something” in the air that has enough force to cause internal damage to their little hearts and livers and cause them to die in one fell swoop, as it were. We’re also reminded by these “experts” that from time-to-time certain sea creatures will purge upon various shores around the world due to illness or a sudden temperature change and not to worry about the recent activity, as it’s something that “just happens.”

Sure it does.

When was the last time these events occurred almost simultaneously? Is there such a thing as a true “coincidence” on the level of what is going on right now? What do scientists have to say about the concept of “coincidence”? Science, as it turns out, views “coincidence” in terms of statistics, whatever that means. Philosophy deals with “coincidence” in a variety of ways, one being that it’s human nature to view seemingly random acts as meaningful, thereby alleviating the concept of “coincidence” due to the desire to feel as if we are in control of our universe and must, therefore, give meaning to everything or else we will feel even more helpless as we swim around in the murky pond of life without a reason for anything, which, of course, drives most humans into some form of madness, be it religious zeal or whatever may be similar to stay afloat.

I have absolutely no agenda here regarding why birds are falling and fish are landing in droves, other than to suggest that I would wonder about  “coincidence” as the answer to a baffling number of odd events which could occur in my home within hours or minutes of each other.

For example, let’s say that I was minding my own business at home and suddenly heard a loud clatter and crash from another room. Upon investigating, I’d realize a slightly rickety table in the living room had collapsed. At first I would understand how an older piece of furniture could eventually give way from it’s weakened state to fall apart and crash to the floor. It had happened before, so, although slightly odd, it would make sense.

But then, what if a row of decorative glass jars suddenly started to shake and one-by-one fell off the shelf, followed by the sound of another thump and crash billowing out of another room in the house where I would then discover another table lying on it’s side on the floor, followed once again by another row of jars leaping off yet another shelf. And what if there had been no earthquake or any other tangible reason for these objects to suddenly fall down and go boom! What am I to believe? That it was all just “coincidence” or that I had a rather mischievous ghost flitting through the house even if I didn’t believe in ghosts?

I would feel more than a tad creeped-out and would certainly rethink my disbelief in ghosts while also investigating the primary structure of my home’s foundation. I would wonder if there could have been a very subtle vibration emanating throughout the house that I had not felt, but caused the most fragile pieces of furniture and glass displays to dislodge from their seemingly solid resting places.

Aha! I may be onto to something: “The most fragile” – what, in the living world, is more fragile than sea life and gentle birds? Certainly not roaches…and when they begin showing up dead en masse littered throughout the world on streets and in dark musky basements, I’ll see you all in the next life – or not.

I don't want to become part of the chorus of "the end of the world is coming" bloggers and others who are preparing for The End. My purpose isn't to spread the fear. However, the tides do churn, polar plates do shift, and to every season, turn, turn, turn.

Just sayin'......