Biggest Worry

[gattara]

If you are 60 or older, you no doubt recall being worried, or knowing your parents were worried, about nuclear war.

During the Cold War, it was thought that the superpowers might soften each other up with nuclear strikes, leaving their populations in such disarray and misery that a secondary adversary might consider moving in on us.

However, the general reasoning (as I recall) was that the U.S. would have to be reduced to such a radioactive hellhole that nobody would want to go near it for many years.

Not that that was much comfort!

I am 54 but I remember when I was young hearing worries about nuclear war. I vaguely recall a movie about nuclear war, can't remember what it was.

 

[brett]

Good health is our only concern. For ourselves and our nearest and dearest.

 

[aja8888]

If you are 60 or older, you no doubt recall being worried, or knowing your parents were worried, about nuclear war.

During the Cold War, it was thought that the superpowers might soften each other up with nuclear strikes, leaving their populations in such disarray and misery that a secondary adversary might consider moving in on us.

However, the general reasoning (as I recall) was that the U.S. would have to be reduced to such a radioactive hellhole that nobody would want to go near it for many years.

Not that that was much comfort!

I spent my military time in the USAF being a "trigger man" on some of our deadliest nuclear long range missiles. Let me be the first to tell you that if we got into a slug fest with any country that has that destructive capability, life as we know it would never be the same again. What's even more scary is that nuclear weapon delivery capabilities have gotten much more advanced than when I was in. And we have ruthless bad guys making nuclear threats now.

Someday, one of these idiots is going to trigger happy and use that weapon. On a personal basis, it's certainly worrisome, but not much you can do anything about.

 

[Aerides]

I am 54 but I remember when I was young hearing worries about nuclear war. I vaguely recall a movie about nuclear war, can't remember what it was.

The Day After. Probably anyone over 50 saw it.

 

[gattara]

The Day After. Probably anyone over 50 saw it.

Yep, thank you.

 

[travelover]

.......... Let me be the first to tell you that if we got into a slug fest with any country that has that destructive capability, life as we know it would never be the same again...........

I think it is inevitable - just hope I've checked out before it happens.

 

[Irishgirlyc58]

The Day After. Probably anyone over 50 saw it.

Fun fact- I live in the area first hit by nuclear weapons in the Day After.

Testament was a much more powerful movie on nuclear destruction in my opinion.

I have a few friends that are in their 40’s and they thought school drills in the 80’s for nuclear war were unique.
I informed them that it began way before the 80’s. By about 30 years. Apparently they skipped their history classes.

 

[RobbieB]

I remember the hide under your desk drills in elementary school and some buildings had the Civil Defense bomb shelter signs on the front door.

 

[ls99]

I spent my military time in the USAF being a "trigger man" on some of our deadliest nuclear long range missiles. Let me be the first to tell you that if we got into a slug fest with any country that has that destructive capability, life as we know it would never be the same again. What's even more scary is that nuclear weapon delivery capabilities have gotten much more advanced than when I was in. And we have ruthless bad guys making nuclear threats now.

Someday, one of these idiots is going to trigger happy and use that weapon. On a personal basis, it's certainly worrisome, but not much you can do anything about.

A poster in Cold Bay, also at Port Moeller Alaska DEW site:


In case of nuclear attack, Bend over deeply and kiss your sweet a$$ goodbye.


Otherwise, biggest worry, is favorite coffe shop still there?

 

[Irishgirlyc58]

I remember the hide under your desk drills in elementary school and some buildings had the Civil Defense bomb shelter signs on the front door.

Our neighbors across the street had a fallout shelter in their backyard. House was built with it in the early 50’s.

 

[Amethyst]

In the 60's my Mom made me end every bedtime prayer with, "And please don't let the atom bombs drop, amen." Seriously.

 

[MRG]

In the 60's my Mom made me end every bedtime prayer with, "And please don't let the atom bombs drop, amen." Seriously.

[emoji41]
One of my earlier memories is from October 1962. I was 5 and knew DM was really concerned. I didn't understand DB was part of the force doing the blockade. There were a lot of those prayers.

 

[Gumby]

[emoji41]
One of my earlier memories is from October 1962. I was 5 and knew DM was really concerned. I didn't understand DB was part of the force doing the blockade. There were a lot of those prayers.

My dad was also in the fleet enforcing the blockade (aboard USS Aldebaran AF-10), and we lived on the Norfolk Naval Base, which everyone assumed would be one of the missile targets. All the dads were gone to sea and all the moms left at home, including mine, were completely freaked out.

 

[timbervest]

"Worrying is like paying interest on debt you don't owe" -- Mark Twain

 

[ivinsfan]

Worry is a strange thing. Until 4 years ago I worried about a lot of "little" things. Or you could say I was "on guard" all the time. I believe it stems from growing up in an isolated military family with a depressed Dad. Also you never knew if he would come home and say, pack your Sh^& we are moving to XYZ in 2 weeks. From 5th grade until freshman year of HS, I went to 8 different schools!


After I spent 3 hours staring at the door of the family waiting area expecting to see my DH's surgeon to tell me, we did everything we could, sorry, I told myself to worry only about the important stuff. If only my brain listened to my mind. Now I worry about big stuff and little stuff.

 

[RobbieB]

I've always said if they drop the bomb, please drop it on my head. I won't feel a thing.

 

[aja8888]

I've always said if they drop the bomb, please drop it on my head. I won't feel a thing.

Don't worry, it won't be on your head. Big nukes are set to go off about 1,000 + feet up. Better coverage. You will be instantly vaporized.

 

[Letj]

DW makes me sleep on the side closest to the door when we are in the hotel and at home, in case a murderous villain comes through the door, then I can place myself between them and her, presumably eliminating said murderous villain before she is awakened.

[emoji23]I am so much more comfortable sleeping at home when my husband is home because he is bigger and braver. He does not typically travel out of town without me but when he does, my imagination can run wild at night.

 

[Teacher Terry]

I used to worry a lot about my middle son and went to great lengths to help him. I let him live with me, got him into treatment programs, etc and nothing worked. I finally accepted that I had no control. When I was raising my kids I was worried about dying because my husband was way too strict and without me to balance him it would have been horrible for the kids.

 

[2HOTinPHX]

Don't worry, it won't be on your head. Big nukes are set to go off about 1,000 + feet up. Better coverage. You will be instantly vaporized.

Well add that to the worry list now...step out the front door here in Phoenix during summer and ask is it just a normal day or is it something else searing my skin...
Arrested Development Season 4 - Michael Travels To Phoenix

 

[Amethyst]

But only if you're lucky enough to live in a Ground Zero area. If you're in a peripheral zone, you will just perish slowly of radiation poisoning.

And if you're in one of the in-between areas - say, out West where the population is too low for the enemy to bother targeting anything for hundreds of miles - you will need to survive without electricity, or anything else you can't generate yourself.

Preppers live their whole lives anticipating this. I'm not sure that counts as worrying, though; I think they kind of want it to happen.

Don't worry, it won't be on your head. Big nukes are set to go off about 1,000 + feet up. Better coverage. You will be instantly vaporized.

 

[Boose]

The Day After. Probably anyone over 50 saw it.

I didn't see that one, but I saw "Threads." Traumatizing.

In 4th or 5th grade, I asked my mom (also an anxious person) what I should do if there were a nuclear attack and I was at school and she and Dad were at work. She replied that we would all meet at my grandparents' house in a rural neighboring state - 133 miles away! So then I didn't just worry about nuclear war, I worried about how I was going to get there on my own with no water or gasoline, no telephones, etc. No wonder I needed so much therapy.

 

[Dash man]

The Day After. Probably anyone over 50 saw it.

I remember Dr. Strangelove. Anyone over 65 saw it.

 

[aja8888]

But only if you're lucky enough to live in a Ground Zero area. If you're in a peripheral zone, you will just perish slowly of radiation poisoning.

And if you're in one of the in-between areas - say, out West where the population is too low for the enemy to bother targeting anything for hundreds of miles - you will need to survive without electricity, or anything else you can't generate yourself.

Preppers live their whole lives anticipating this. I'm not sure that counts as worrying, though; I think they kind of want it to happen.

The Mad Max movies will become reality, if you are not fortunate enough to become instant water vapor.

 

[lawman]

Worry is a strange thing. Until 4 years ago I worried about a lot of "little" things. Or you could say I was "on guard" all the time. I believe it stems from growing up in an isolated military family with a depressed Dad. Also you never knew if he would come home and say, pack your Sh^& we are moving to XYZ in 2 weeks. From 5th grade until freshman year of HS, I went to 8 different schools!


After I spent 3 hours staring at the door of the family waiting area expecting to see my DH's surgeon to tell me, we did everything we could, sorry, I told myself to worry only about the important stuff. If only my brain listened to my mind. Now I worry about big stuff and little stuff.

I think the genetic factor for worry, anxiety and depression may be the greatest factor of all..Even as I watched my mother live a miserable existence and was certain I would avoid that fate at all costs I find myself living a similar life and unable to change course.