I felt the same way for a long time. Growing up, I never saw much reason to plan for a future that seemed perilous at best. Climate change was looming; now we are beginning to feel it. The social contract in the US was starting to fray; now it’s coming undone.

9/11, the surge of school shootings, multiple “once in a lifetime” recessions, decades of conflict and rampant anti-intellecualism made it seem silly to even consider something like a 401k when it felt like money would be meaningless by the time I retired; if I can retire at all.

Now, I’m content to let the old structures fall. There’s a few good or useful pieces in there, but the system as a whole has shown just how hollow or simply rotten some most of them are. I’m not hoping or advocating for collapse, only that if it were to happen in my lifetime, the little corner of humanity I occupy might have the ability to weather the storm.

Someone said it once, “look for the helpers”. In times of strife, there’s still good to be found.