“A blind date with destinyA few months ago, when television cameras were whirring in Whidbey faces getting ready for the KIRO documentary on preparedness in Washington, a reporter asked me, “So what do you think Y2K really is?” I found myself responding, “Y2K is a date with destiny — and it’s a blind date. We have created a situation that is going to come knocking on Dec. 31, and we don’t know what will be there when we open the door. What we know is that nothing can stop the calendar from whirring toward this date, and we cannot ‘correct’ all the errors that reside deep in the synapses of technology. What we don’t know is how much these errors are going to matter or in what ways they might show up.” We are now two weeks from that destiny. No matter how reassured we are that nothing bad is going to happen, at least in the United States; no matter how “prepared” we think we are; no matter how tired we are of being reminded; we are all living with a certain amount of tension as we enter the holiday season. In a recent Time magazine cover story citing people’s reactions to this coming New Year’s Eve, the most interesting statement for me was the acknowledgement that it is simply stressful for human beings whose lives span approximately 80 years to contemplate the rollover of a thousand-year cycle. Our psyches just aren’t wired for such big numbers being made so personal. Another interesting aspect of Dec. 31 is that we on Whidbey will be among the last people in the world to experience midnight. The turnover begins on the International Dateline at 6 a.m. Friday morning (local time) and will proceed eastward across China, Russia, India, Africa and the Middle East. These are all regions that tend to have a far more antiquated technological infrastructure than we do in Europe and North America. Media coverage will be intensely focused on this progression, intending to show the varieties of celebrations like a 24-hour Macy’s parade– and to have the cameras and reporters ready to record any Y2K consequences. It is possible that our day on that Friday will include televised coverage of significant breakdown or disaster in these vulnerable regions. And it is possible that those among us who have not dealt with preparation before may suddenly find themselves running around trying to put some things in order.The South Whidbey Community Resilience Project (SWCRP) founded itself in August 1998 in anticipation of this event on Dec. 31, 1999/Jan. 1, 2000. Though we have expanded our vision to include preparation for a wide variety of possible disasters and disruptions of ordinary life, this date with destiny was our rallying point and remains a central concern. We intend to be on alert; to be ready to offer help; to remind everyone on South Whidbey that as a community we have tremendous resources and preparations already in place. No one needs to panic. No one needs to go through the weekend alone or afraid. And if “nothing happens,” then we who have been participating in SWCRP and Neighbor to Neighbor, are like the volunteer firefighters who meet at the station to polish the engine and check the hoses, not hoping for fire… but ready for fire. We will continue to prepare for change that will come on an unspecified date, and continue to work on building and sustaining community so that we are ready to let challenges bring out the best in us.This is a two-part column. In the column on Dec. 29, we will list places that will be open for people to meet and resources available in case we, as a community, need to step into action. Here is what you can do now: Get that week’s supply of extra food tucked in the pantry and set aside water storage. Most of us tend to overstock around the holidays anyway, just do it intentionally. Open the refrigerator, freezer and cupboard doors and assess how long you and your family or neighbors could eat off what you have on hand. If you spend a little more of the food budget now, you’ll save a little more in January.If you are looking for last minute practical gifts, the Bayview Senior Center has a supply of meal boxes, five meals for $15/$12.50 for seniors. All food comes in pop open cans; nothing is required except a spoon. Stop by the Bayview center and pick up several: Leave one under the tree for Santa and put a few in your closet or vehicle trunk.Organize a Neighborhood Open House on Saturday or Sunday, Jan. 1 or 2. This is a great way to share leftovers and finish off the fruitcake. It can be billed as an informal party, and if it turns out we need to check in with each other at a deeper level, the time and place will already be set. If you need help, the Neighbor to Neighbor voice-mail, 221-5781, is checked daily and will be activated as a direct line during the New Year’s weekend. If you are on-line, check the Web site: www.islandneighbors.com. There you can read the educational material that has been developed and shared in the past year. Keep talking to your friends and neighbors and make community spirit part of your holiday spirit. It’s just destiny: We’ll be fine.”