Of course I don’t really believe that. But I have been trying to convince myself that I do lately. Just as a thought experiment, or a living-life experiment really. Ask yourself; if you really believed that the end of the world was happening on December 21st, what would you do?

Freak out? Go on a crazy bender? Or a shopping spree?

Sure that’s a fine approach I guess, if you’re into that sort of thing. I have set a couple of pretty basic goals . . . you might think they’re silly. But they are simply things that I wish I had learned how to do already, and if the world is going to end in a few weeks I want to do them before I die. They are:

1. bake a loaf of bread.

2. learn how to do a headstand.

3. read Gravity’s Rainbow.

Yep. That’s it. Baking bread is pure zen. Simply flour, water, a pinch of salt and of yeast and you can make the staff of life. Like all good zen activities, it seems very simple, but doing it well is an art form. The headstand is for yoga. It feels great, and gives you a rush. And Gravity’s Rainbow is just one of those big giant books I’ve always meant to read but never got around to.

So, if the world ends in 18 days, what are your 3 things?