New World Beginnings

This time there's no option -- evacuation is mandatory. Our sun is about to nova. It will explode by expanding to its limits and then collapse back in on itself to ultimately become a white dwarf. The Biblical prediction of two fires is about to be fulfilled.

Fortunately, there's time to get out and well on our way before the first explosion. Unfortunately, our window of time for escape is only seven days. Also unfortunate is that human kind only has six space shuttles to accommodate evacuating a world of humanity and lives of all types.

There are six inhabited continents. How can so many civilizations reach so few vehicles? True enough, the few will be lifted into the heavens. Only the chosen will survive and take some type of vestige with them in order to start their new existence somewhere else on a new planet in a new solar system. Just as with our Earthly artifacts, we'll have to choose our new sun very carefully.

In addition to our essentials, we're only allowed three Earthly artifacts. When it was the Oakland fire, my choices were unconscious. the first to get packed into the trunk of the car was my computer and peripherals along with an overnight bag filled with two days of clothing changes and toiletries. Stacked on the end table next to the door were all of my law text books, notes and outlines.

Was there anything else? Did anything else count? The important thing was staying on track with my studies so that I wouldn't have the privilege of being one of the first-year students cut. What was amazing was that the choices were made while I was in shock. They were knee-jerk choices and the right ones for me under my circumstances.

When it was time to escape from the abuse, the choices were again obvious. Some changes of clothing were essential, along with toiletries. Next obvious were the manuscripts on my hard drive. Then the few dollars I had so that I wouldn't be completely destitute. I also made certain that among the changes of clothes were at least two business outfits. After all, it was important to be ready for new job interviews.

Now it's time to make new choices. This time there's no going back just in case. This time the departure needs to be timely so that I'll be able to secure my place on the shuttle. As with the first two evacuations, my writings have to be preserved on a laptop and flash drive. It would be nice to think they could become part of the examples of good literature and writing. As with the previous evacuations, preserving other digital resources will be important. Flash drives loaded with the contents of an online dictionary and encyclopedia will be important as well as a translating dictionary.

Now the more thoughtful part comes into play. What two aspects of humanity need to be preserved without regard to what others will contribute to the collective knowledge that will build the future? What's important about this present civilization that needs to be preserved?

I'm relying on the fact that a few people with outdoors and camping skills will be among the evacuees. The fact that we have people navigating the shuttle who have engineering and scientific knowledge and skills is comforting. That means we'll have those skills to fall back on and build upon as we grow new settlers (aka, babies) and pass on the traditions. It's important that we also include in the lessons the "why" of what we're doing so that knowledge will also be preserved.

But what else is mandatory for preservation?

I'll try to retrieve my violin. I got it when I was nine years old. It took me to private lessons at USC. It took me to interscholastic competitions. It took me to the USC preparatory orchestra. It took me to worlds of enjoyment. It's an art form that needs to be preserved. Maybe it can be modified to fit in with the new life. But the violin will be the second aspect of humanity I'll take.

Now for the third piece. It would be wonderful to take some type of plant life. But there's no telling what the new environment will accept. We'll have to adapt to the vegetation in it.

A pet, a kitten, would be great company. As an Earth steward, it seems as though I have a duty to take some animal life form so that it can be preserved just as the human life forms are. It looks like that will be the third form of our present existence that will go to the new one.

Ready to go now. Ready to start afresh.