I understand that feeling too.  Feeling disconnected is not all that new to me, but it is increasing rapidly now.  One group will turn out to be right, probably with serious consequences.  I look around, and everything seems so normal.  The stores are indeed still full of new goods, and I am still tempted by the life-long habits of consumerism, but I resist.  I no longer believe that I will finish my career as an engineer - with another 20 to 25 yrs to work, it just seems very unlikely, especially with a 45min commute.  But it does not bother me - I have the skills to build and fix things, we have relocated to property with land and water and wood, and my only real ambition now is to maintain a home for my family.  I'm keeping debts as low and equity as high as I can.  

It certainly makes for interesting thoughts during long planning and budget meetings at work.  I look at the rest of the people in the room and wonder how many of them have any clue.  I all seems so unreal - flying around the world for 1day meetings, sales projections based on the assumption that the future will be like the past.  Some of the engineers I manage seem to understand that something is wrong, but have different ideas about what it is.  I try not to preach to a captive audience.  Sadly, my main focus at work is trying to maintain my salary and that of my team, so that all of us can have as much time to prepare as possible.  Meanwhile I'm looking for a job doing design work again, and thinking hard about how to earn money closer to home, and without a company backing me up.  I hope I can get my kid's teeth fixed while I still have dental benefits.  

I know the weather can be beautiful right before the storm hits, and sometimes I wonder if my tinfoil hat might not be a bit too tight.  Very few of the people I know take this seriously, and even those that I suspect do are unwilling to discuss it much - I suspect they are unsure.  

I am still purchasing things, of course, but they're of a different nature.  The wood stove is in, and the garden will be planned this winter - I'll need some additional tools and supplies for that.  I try not to purchase anything that does not look like it will last, or that does not appear to be repairable (quite a challenge now).  

I know that I am looking at the same things all the people around me are - it's just increasingly obvious that I seeing something different.

I wish I knew more about the timing of all this - I'll post separately about that.  I have to get out and split some more wood - I don't have nearly enough and it should have been stacked months ago.