I'm Impatient

December 21, 2012. This is the end of the Mayan calendar. The Long Count calendar has been ticking away slowly from the beginning of time up until the end of time as we know it. This end will occur on December 21, 2012.

When I was younger, I never even thought I would make it to the year 2000. It seemed sci fi and unreal. And oh so far away....it could never be true. Well, here we are in 2009. It does seem unreal. I just wish it were 2012 already because I am impatient and I don't want to wait three years to see what will happen. In fact, I am not sure that I have three years to wait.

December 21, 2012 will be the Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year and an important aspect of the Mayan belief system. The Mayans were extremely mathematical and precise in their equations. They have predicted every lunar and solar eclipse that has happened in their calendar. It freaks me out and makes me wonder if they were from this world. We can't even accurately predict if it will rain tomorrow. And we have computers.

Mayan Calendar

Fray Diego de Landa from the Governor's Palace in Merida.

Ah, those Catholic priests. They were righteous and burnt almost all of the books of the Mayan people. Idiots. However many lives I live, I will never oppress another being with my spiritual beliefs. Their Christianity was built upon converting others to what they believe is the one true salvation, at any cost. Oh, and they enjoyed the "power" that came with it. I don't think this is what God or Jesus had in mind, seriously. Christ exhibited empathy and tolerance. Killing people for religious belief is NOT what he had in mind, in fact, it is how he was sacrificed. Anyway, the Mayans, along with many other indigineous cultures, were the lucky recipients of the Christian fanaticism. The point is, we will never really know what the Mayans believed will happen on 2012, because the good Catholics that invaded their land burnt almost all of the written word of the Maya.

I like circles. They are complete and without hard edges; they flow. The Mayans had a circular view of time and life. So, looking at the end of the Long Count, meaning that fateful day in December 2012, it could be interpreted as a rebirth instead of an end. I just hope it is glorious, whatever happens. And, I hope I am here to see it.