January 1, 2000 was a date that many folks feared the world would come to an end. Some simply stored supplies while others went to more drastic extremes. Once we all learned that Y2K was, in fact, not the end of all mankind, most who were convinced of the millennium doomsday sheepishly went back to their regular lives. Norman Feller, however, did not follow suit.
It was only after 14 years of leading a secluded, solitary life in a bunker buried in his back yard that he finally decided to emerge this last September to discover the outcome that we've all been aware of since midnight of that dreaded New Year's night. It was the lonely life in a windowless, makeshift home and sheer curiosity that finally drove him to come out.
Once surfaced from his survival pod, Feller's first impression was that things hadn't changed much. His house was basically in the same condition it was since he left it, and his car was still in the garage. There are, however, certain changes that he finds amazing. He's shocked at the wide-spread use of smart phones, the relative lack concern regarding acid rain, and the fact that Joey got a spin-off from Friends ("Chandler was the one that everybody wanted to watch, right?") The thing that Feller is most impressed with is KFC's 'Double Down' sandwich that has chicken breasts instead of bread.
After reflecting on the world around him, Feller realized the mistake he'd made. In his preparation for Y2K, he abandoned his wife, not allowed her to share in the safety of his bunker. He has since apologized to her for the rejection. Emerging from his backyard bunker has given Feller new a outlook on life. His advice is rather to plan for the world to come to an end, be prepared for the world to live forever.
UPDATE: We've learned recently that this story originally came from a satirical radio program in Canada. Well done, This is That. We wanted this to be a real thing so badly! A great story nonetheless.