Post-penearmageddon?

After watching most movies, I think about them afterwards and how I would feel or act if had similar experiences. Tonight I watched "The Core", a 2003 movie directed by Jon Amiel and starring, most notably, Aaron Eckhart. For those of you who have not seen the movie, it is about a team of scientists that must travel to the Core of the Earth in order to restart the rotation of the outer Core in order to restore balance to the earth's electromagnetic field.

And it got me thinking, what happens post-penearmageddon?

I suppose I should mention that word's definition. While I think I coined the term, I'm not going to take credit for that because I might not have. Post- meaning after, pene- meaning almost, and Armageddon meaning the end of the world. Thus the whole phrase means the events after a near-apocalyptic event.

There are a lot of movies about near-apocalypses. Right off the top of my head, there is The Core (2003), Sunshine (2007), Deep Impact (1998), and perhaps most notably Armageddon (1998).

All these movies have a, for lack of a better word, epic storyline. The crew of each specially designed vessel is miraculously able to save the planet, even though most of the crew dies or sacrifices to save the mission. Despite the overwhelmingly similar plot sequences, I really do enjoy these movies.

But one thing that is always left out: how does life go on?

How could humanity, as a whole, go on after a universal near-death experience? I think most of the movies shy away from that because no one really knows. But its an interesting thought.

What if you had done something because you thought you were going to die? How would you deal with the effects of whatever you had done? What if you told someone how you really felt about them, and now were in an awkward state with that person, and could never have your old relationship back? What if you quit your job in a fury and you could never take it back? Suppose you had been married at (what you thought was) the last second, despite inclinations to do otherwise? What if you had had sex with someone because you though you should enjoy yourself before death, and it resulted in
a child you now had no intention of having? Or, God forbid, you had attempted suicide in panic, but had failed, and would not be able to make a full recovery?

There are lots of questions. But the sum of all of them amounts to a single question: How would you go back to everyday life? or would you?

It seems odd to think we would just go back to how things were. Personally, I feel some change would occur. I would think it would have to...but maybe I am wrong. But I think there has to be some drastic sociological change.

Perhaps a change in Religious Beliefs? I could see two changes. One, there is a worldwide turn to religion in Thanksgiving for the continued existence of human life, or Two, people move away from religion. I personally say the second is more likely afterwards, and the first option is more likely a "before". If you think about it, would it give us as humans some sort of arrogance that we defeated our own destruction? I think that is the most likely scenario.

But aside from that, does everyone go back to their job? suppose half of your employees are dead or missing?

is there rioting, mobs, or gangs that are running a city? or has the government declared martial law?

It might be hard to think about for some people, but hopefully it won't ever be an issue.

Feel free to comment with your own thoughts.