Crop Circles. Wizards. Flying saucers. The future. If I told you I saw any of these I would be looked at as if I had three heads. So why has the cultural phenomenon of the world ending Dec. 21, 2012 been so widely believed?

If I told people I could see the future no one would believe me, I would probably be locked away in a mental institution. Yet, we believe the Mayans knew that the world would end on the specific date of Dec. 21, 2012 centuries away. Why?

Some would argue that we have the proof it is going to happen all around us. They would say “just look at the crazy weather we’ve been having.” Ever heard of this crazy new concept called global warming?

Yes, Ludlow has been having weird weather. Last winter, according to  BostonChannel.com Boston had 60 inches of snow. Oct. 30, 2011 we were hit with another snow storm, yet this winter we have only had a light dusting of white powder once. More wacky weather includes being hit by a tornado and hurricane, which is unusual New England weather.

Just because we are having weird weather, possibly impacted by global warming, we are not going to see the world end in our life time. The concept of 2012 being our last year is just another crack-pot conspiracy.

The whole concept of the world ending is like something straight out of a Hollywood blockbuster movie. Oh wait! It is. The plot has been done over and over again. You have 1968’s Planet of the Apes, 2004’s The Day After Tomorrow, 2005’s War of The Worlds, 2007’s I Am Legend, and 2009’s 2012.

So what’s it going to be, how are our lives going to end? Are we going to be overtaken by intelligent apes? Is the crazy weather going to come back to bite us? Are aliens going to invade? Will we be infected by a virus that will kill us off?  Or are typhoons, earthquakes, and other natural disasters in our future? All of these options are absolutely ridiculous. Haven’t we evolved past conspiracy?

So if you disagree and think the world will end, spend your year in a panic. Start digging a storm cellar, stocking up on non-perishables, and preparing for the end whether it be aliens, a massive storm, or an asteroid like the one that demolished the dinos. I on the other hand, like all rational thinkers, will be spending my year the same as I did 2011 and the same that I will 2013.