# If the world was ending, what is the very first thing you'd do? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 9, 2006, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-world-was-ending-what-is-the-very-first-thing-youd-do/379682 "2006-11-09T06:07:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2006, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-world-was-ending-what-is-the-very-first-thing-youd-do/379682/1 "2006-11-09T06:07:45Z")
I’m aware that “what would you do if the world was ending?” is hardly an original question, but I’d like to put this slight spin on it. Imagine that _right now_, as you are sitting at your computer, we somehow received definitive word that Armageddon would be upon us in exactly 24 hours. Before you did anything else, what is the _first_ thing you’d do? I’m actually itching to load up and resume my game of Final Fantasy XII, and I truly, honestly, don’t think I would change that plan right now even if I got the word. ---
**Author:** ![pool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pool/32/4152_2.png) [@pool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pool)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2006, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-world-was-ending-what-is-the-very-first-thing-youd-do/379682/2 "2006-11-09T06:12:31Z")
Start drinking ---
**Author:** ![ZebraShaSha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/eada6e/32.png) [@ZebraShaSha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZebraShaSha)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2006, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-world-was-ending-what-is-the-very-first-thing-youd-do/379682/3 "2006-11-09T06:26:50Z")
Same stuff. Register for classes, go to school, work, wish I had’t gone to Tech. Perhaps all I’d do different is take some kids out to eat, one in particular. I have this one kid who would be great for the Apocalypse. ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2006, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-world-was-ending-what-is-the-very-first-thing-youd-do/379682/4 "2006-11-09T06:30:59Z")
Get the kids and The Bloke and drive to a spot in Far East Gippsland (national park), set up the tent, open a bottle of tequila and view the setting sun over the forest and the seas for the last time. Then I’d write a nasty Letter to the Editor about why we weren’t given more time to prepare. That’d learn em to be so hasty in the future!! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![iano](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@iano](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iano)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2006, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-world-was-ending-what-is-the-very-first-thing-youd-do/379682/5 "2006-11-09T06:37:44Z")
Urinate, I imagine. The first thing I’d _choose_ to do? Well, stare at the wall. ---
**Author:** ![Scribble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scribble/32/3317_2.png) [@Scribble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scribble)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2006, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-world-was-ending-what-is-the-very-first-thing-youd-do/379682/6 "2006-11-09T06:39:17Z")
I’d tell my boyfriend that I love him. I’d try to get a same-day flight. If I couldn’t do that,I’d get in my car and drive. I’d spend my last day with him, laughing and snuggling and being silly. We’d have really good pizza, split a bottle of terriffic, extravagant wine. I’d teach him to dance, which I’ve said I’d do for months, but we always ended up doing other things. I’d call my mom and sisters, tell them I love them. ---
**Author:** ![zoogirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b9bd4f/32.png) [@zoogirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoogirl)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2006, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-world-was-ending-what-is-the-very-first-thing-youd-do/379682/7 "2006-11-09T07:01:46Z")
I’d go down the street, totally nail the guy I’ve wanted desparately for the last year then go home and do the same to my old man. Then I’d hug my younger son and tell him how much I love him. After that, I’d hop on my bike, go across the river to see my older son and his girlfriend and tell them the same thing. Then I’d get back on the computer to say goodbye to all my friends while blasting Alice Cooper on the CD player. That ought to cover it. ---
**Author:** ![Penchan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/74df32/32.png) [@Penchan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Penchan)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2006, 7:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-world-was-ending-what-is-the-very-first-thing-youd-do/379682/8 "2006-11-09T07:14:19Z")
I’d tell my SO that I love him, tell my family members that I love them, IM friends and tell them that they’re awesome. Then I’d cuddle my SO and perhaps go for a walk with him and eat nothing but junk food as we do stupid things to make each other laugh. Then we’d probably have nonstop sex until armageddon. ---
**Author:** ![TristramAiblins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ea5d25/32.png) [@TristramAiblins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TristramAiblins)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2006, 7:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-world-was-ending-what-is-the-very-first-thing-youd-do/379682/9 "2006-11-09T07:30:24Z")
Strech my legs and fix a nice meal. ---
**Author:** ![chowder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2006, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-world-was-ending-what-is-the-very-first-thing-youd-do/379682/10 "2006-11-09T07:41:14Z")
Shit myself probably. Then feed the cat ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2006, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-world-was-ending-what-is-the-very-first-thing-youd-do/379682/11 "2006-11-09T07:48:54Z")
I’d go nail at least one of the hot chicks that I’ve been itching to for a while now. Then, I’d get in my car, throw a full gas can in the back, drive to the middle of a large field, write “Fuck you, God!” on the grass with the gas, light it, and then lean back on the hood of my car while I drink bourbon, smoke, and listen to every angry song in my music collection at full volume. ---
**Author:** ![JacksonRoykirk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e79b87/32.png) [@JacksonRoykirk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JacksonRoykirk)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2006, 8:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-world-was-ending-what-is-the-very-first-thing-youd-do/379682/12 "2006-11-09T08:03:28Z")
I’d go out and buy a half gallon of rum. Then return home, get stinking drunk, crank up Led Zeppelin, and hug my dogs for whatever time is left. ---
**Author:** ![ladyfoxfyre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ad7895/32.png) [@ladyfoxfyre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ladyfoxfyre)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2006, 8:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-world-was-ending-what-is-the-very-first-thing-youd-do/379682/13 "2006-11-09T08:30:43Z")
Tell my parents I love them, then take the next flight out of here. Go home to FL, see my friend’s baby, have hot sex with the a couple of guys who are in love with me currently. Smoke a pack of cigarettes and get the most expensive bottle of gin I can find, and get slowly drunk on the beach with the best martinis money can buy. -foxy ---
**Author:** ![Rodgers01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b19c9b/32.png) [@Rodgers01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rodgers01)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2006, 8:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-world-was-ending-what-is-the-very-first-thing-youd-do/379682/14 "2006-11-09T08:31:02Z")
Call all my close friends and relatives and tell them how much I love them, find a priest and try to set things right with my maker, and then buy some poison and kill myself and as many relatives as want to go with me to spare us the terrors of the apocalypse. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2006, 8:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-world-was-ending-what-is-the-very-first-thing-youd-do/379682/15 "2006-11-09T08:42:14Z")
Hell, the drive home would probably be murder! There’s a bar downstairs, wonder if I could get ahold of a couple bottles of rum over everybody else’s body… ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2006, 10:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-world-was-ending-what-is-the-very-first-thing-youd-do/379682/16 "2006-11-09T10:01:57Z")
Hurry on down to the local parish church and go to confession. ---
**Author:** ![betenoir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/258eb7/32.png) [@betenoir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/betenoir)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2006, 10:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-world-was-ending-what-is-the-very-first-thing-youd-do/379682/17 "2006-11-09T10:22:33Z")
24 hours??? Difficult. I’d want to be with my beloved…but if you note my location, might take up a large part of 24 hours. I want to die in his arms, but to die in an airport would be rather depressing. Perhaps I would just spend it on the phone with him, and the other people I love, hugging my mother, petting my cats, making one last dinner. And masturbating. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2006, 10:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-world-was-ending-what-is-the-very-first-thing-youd-do/379682/18 "2006-11-09T10:33:03Z")
Check out [CNN.com](http://CNN.com) ---
**Author:** ![Lobelia\_Overhill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/54ee81/32.png) [@Lobelia\_Overhill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobelia_Overhill)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2006, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-world-was-ending-what-is-the-very-first-thing-youd-do/379682/19 "2006-11-09T12:30:42Z")
Stay right where I am, everyone else will be panicking/phoning loved ones/trying to drive somewhere so there’d be no point doing anything ---
**Author:** ![monavis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e0b2c6/32.png) [@monavis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monavis)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2006, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-world-was-ending-what-is-the-very-first-thing-youd-do/379682/20 "2006-11-09T13:09:36Z")
Since no one knows for sure if this will be their last day or not,why not just live it the best you can? Every one’s world ends sometime. I personally would just do as I do every day for at my age who knows how many tomorrows there are left to live? monavis [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-world-was-ending-what-is-the-very-first-thing-youd-do/379682.md?page=2)