Come hell or high water!

My grandmother always use to say "The world is going to hell in a hand basket!" Well, I never exactly knew what a "hand basket" was; but I remember looking around wondering what she was seeing that I wasn't. Wringing her arthritic hands, she would give that little clucking sound and shake her head. I understood very little of her concern at the time, but putting two and two together, surmised that it wasn't good. I do remember her mumbling something about the morals of the present generation and the laissez faire attitude of society. It bothered her immensely and as the years went by, things in her eyes went from bad to worse.

Being the Grandmother now, I try to check my comments about "going to hell" closely. I realize that saying that statement can often be taken as being judgemental. Something that I have been known to do from time to time. Hell is something you really don't want to joke about or wish occupancy on, especially yourself! In my five years as a Born Again Christian, I have found hell to be a real place and if in doubt yourself, I can assure you that there is no mistake. It is not somewhere you want to spend eternity.

So the other day when I was reading my E-mail, I noticed a note about the outrageous price of gas and a request that I join others in a national boycott and avoid buying gas on a certain day in May. It further read that, if the price of gas continues to rise, that soon people won't be able to feed their families because the price of groceries will be sky high. Further down in the message, it read that if things continue on course, that "All hell would break loose". Wow, now that sounds a lot like my grandmother, don't you think? But wait, there is a difference here. My grandmother talked about going to hell in some mode of transportation. I believe "a hand basket" must be something that you weave and then tie a big, black bow around? I really don't know. Should have asked! While the modern statement of "All hell breaking loose" sounds as if it is something like a raging tempest that is ready to blow! Like a wild animal just waiting to be set free. Either way, I don't think I want to be around to see that one! Isn't it funny that both "takes" have to do with transportation?

So I have discovered that the answer to all our problems is quite simple, really. It has to do with horse drawn carriages. In my grandmother's day, no one needed gas. They just needed kerosene lamps and were able to live the simple life in their small little communities. When we can no longer afford the price of gas and have to grow our own food, the simple life will bring our wayward ways back in check. We will also have time to weave our own baskets! We will be so busy planting, weeding, harvesting, canning, etc.; hell won't have time to break loose! We won't have to look to China to make our baskets either.