The End of the World, or is it?

I guess I didn't appreciate my mother as much as I should have.
She did ingrain in me, to question things, and not to get too upset
of the unknown.

In the 1950's there were people who were building bomb shelters.
This was full of food and water and beds and etc. All of which was
to keep you safe from the bomb. Don't know how much supplies
they had, for how many days. Some actually dug holes in the ground
and some used their basements. For those who don't know what a
basement is, it is a large room or several rooms below the ground,
under your house. A lot of houses are built without them, it seems.

Anyway, Mom's theory was if the bomb goes off in the good old
USA, then you bend over, kiss your arse good by, because you
aren't going to remember even doing it. That any bomb shelter
would become a grave, because how were you going to keep the
fumes out of the air ducts. And you have to have air ducts to breathe.

So in 1961 or 62, I forgot which one it was... I was living in California.
National City to be exact. And the talk was about the end of the
world ... seems it was going to flood. My neighbors were all excited.
Seems some place in Arizona was going to be the only place to
survive. So my neighbors on the night of the big flood and the end
of the world, were getting up on top of the roof of their homes.
They had blankets, pillows, beer, ( I guess they figure that would
take the fear away). One of the neighbors fell off the roof about
2am and broke his arm. But they helped him back up, as they
didn't want him to drown. I kind of laughed at them, and told
them, I was going into the house with my kids and sleep on
our own beds. As I didn't believe it. Seems they thought the
water would come up when part of California fell off in to the ocean.
I woke up the next morning and went outside with my cup of coffee
at day break, and you know the world was still there and no floods.
But there sure were a lot of grouchy neighbors.

So with the 2012 bit, I am not getting excited. I figure I will be here
3 years later to enjoy my 75th birthday. You see, if it should happen,
it happens... it is what it is... but so far my mother has been right.
Much a do about nothing.