I'm not the biggest fan of the Zombie apocalypse genre, but AMC's The Walking Dead ranks as my favorite take. I believe the TV series format aids in fleshing out the concept, more so than films, although there have been a few very decent ones through the years. Here's a list of serious life lessons one can learn, or relearn from the series. They're highlighted very well by the character driven show - which is why its so good, making the scenario more realistic - when you see how normal human beings would react to something so foul. 1. Do not allow circumstance to change who you are. Of course we all change in some way with life and defining moments eliciting due reaction, a tragic loss of a loved one, hope diminishing… but we should not allow such things to alter who we are – our nature. Of course this is speaking in general terms because quite frankly some people need to change for the better (but this is targeted at those mostly outside the realm of extreme criminality). 2. The world is a dark and depressing place. It has always been so – because of mankind – the evils we see around us, in the news on a daily basis, is nothing new. Just think of people baying for blood in the roman Colosseum, an empire which also crucified people. Then there's the Holocaust, cannibalism, human trafficking, rape, mutilation, serial killers... 3. We live in a complicated world. But of course we made it so; by constantly cluttering our lives with material nonsense. When, ahem, if, the Zombie apocalypse makes landfall, one thing it will do for all concerned, is refocus our minds onto what is important – In Other Words – Prioritize… this is no time to be persnickety. 4. You’re only as good as your ‘worst’ member (reflecting the sentiments of ‘the health of a nation can be judged by its prisoners’). When in survival mode, people tend to make bizarre decisions… When things become really complicated – because of humans – deciding the fate of a fellow human being and having to play judge, jury and executioner, surely does provide ample opportunity to gauge the nature of the collective group. 5. Norman Reedus is still cool, it was looking dodgy after the curios case of Boondock: All Saints (Not a life lesson? – HA, your argument is invalid) No really, a redneck hillbilly makes for a valued ally when battling the dead, especially when he has many redeemable qualities… and if you're able to look past the personal hygiene issues. 6. You need human interaction to survive. You may be a bit like me, a person who is okay on your own, alone. Most writers don’t really suffer from loneliness, but when humanity is under threat, and you’re surrounded by moaning walkers and impending doom, a fellow healthy human is the prefect remedy to that sinking feeling… or at the very least, you’ll have some company when facing the darkness – whether literal, mental or that perceived darkness of death closing in. 7. And on that note: sort out your views/beliefs regarding death. I’m not a religious man, I believe in Jesus as my Lord and Saviour, so when the world descends further into apparent anarchy, best be at peace with death – I believe it is but a gateway, though this doesn’t mean I will not go down lightly; with a samurai sword in one hand and a spear in the other (and a pistol/Uzi and survival knife as backups) "I shall rage against the dying of the light!". 8. Learning some useful skills is always an advantage. There’s no need to be an expert, but a few seemingly abstract expertise will reveal their use in extreme situations. Everyone has a skill-set, the more the better, which means you’ll be a credit to your group – a pool of talent - indispensable even, improving their willingness to save you when in peril. 9. Being fit and healthy is a huge plus. You never know when you’ll be required to run for your life, sprint for a mile on an empty stomach, with full backpack of rations and medical supplies, with freaks on your tail, and your entire group depending on you. In all, okay most, apocalyptic tales, running is usually involved… 10. Self-control - an underestimated virtue. (you may find this a useful attribute in normal society too) Many people don’t know the true nature of their interactions with other people (living). Everyone has their own variety of oddities, though in a highly stressful environment it will behoove you to NOT be a nuisance to your fellow humans. IOW – Keep it together. That's right Eric, KEEP YOUR S%#T TOGETHER! The zombie apocalypse is no time to wig out and be a burden on your already jittery cohorts; otherwise you’ll be on the receiving end of some uncompromising WUP-ASS. UPDATE: Here's an alternate list of "10 Life Lessons The Walking Dead teaches us" by WHATCULTURE.com published December 2013. I think we only share (sort of) 2 lessons, though theirs carries slightly different emphasis on both, see if you can spot which ones I'm referring to... News:
Apart from the TV show, here's my two favourite Zombie films: 28 Days Later and Shawn of the Dead. The former's movie poster was creepy so I chickened out and added two screenshots. 28 Days Later just BTW, was directed by Danny Boyle and also starred current Bond girl Noamie Harris and Brendan (aka Braveheart's Hamish) Gleeson. FYI 2013 has a couple of zombie films on the way, namely the big budget Brad Pitt vs the world "World War Z", then there's the comedy Warm Bodies - which looks at things from the perspective of a zombie... this one actually looks like fun. Jury's still out on World War Z though because they chose to use CGI zombies; I'm not sure what your take is on this but if memory serves, I am Legend didn't fare too well with faux zombies, a decent film, but it kind of detracts from the overall experience, distancing one from the perceived threat - because we can all see its fake... In my opinion.
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South Africa today: the state of the nation The Daily Maverick online Sometime late last year I wrote a short piece on South Africa and my (shared with countless other citizens) frustrations with the government (whom I did not vote for), bickering politicians and every other ill in this country - (the piece was inspired by the Marakana massacre). I felt compelled to write another piece. As the rape and thence murder of Anene Booysens continues to illicit a varied reaction across SA and the world, the deeper issue of the culture of violence permeating in SA has taken center stage . There are so many problems, so I’ll dive right on top of one of the biggest; though to be honest, no one could really change this in a substantial way – some problems take time to sort out, and some pain will only become manageable with even more time, the scars though, will remain, for a very very long time… I speak of Apartheid of course, and the fact that the nation of the New South Africa was born out of this heinous and evil construct. The nation which emerged was fraught with problems, but equally so, alive with possibility (to use a marketing catch phrase) and boundless potential. With such a fractured and divisive past, our subsequent number one enemy has always been ourselves. We know what we can achieve, and have achieved, but division persists with too many corrupt officials/government members, and an inactive public. However, everything I’m saying, and can and want to say, has already been said, so I’ll throw in some quotes here This is from a recent article on the Daily Maverick online newspaper: “We don’t know to what extent the frustration of young and old males, at their wits end in a society that has discarded them, where they have no jobs and women tend to get things quicker exacerbates the situation. That is not a cause, but could be an underlying issue behind incidence of sexual violence.” Link to full article here. "Cooper" referenced and quoted above is a doctor and psychiatrist. Of all the varied cultures we have in South Africa, the one we’re tending to cultivate and nurture the most in this near twenty year democracy, is violence. Here, where societal inequality is unparalleled (just the other day I watched a magazine program, showing off the a beautiful palatial mansion with sea views, a swimming pool and an entertainment deck – for the kids to entertain their friends with table tennis or snooker etc… meanwhile a few kilometers away, there are people who don’t even have a toilet in their own tiny house), dividing the country into the “have” and “have not’s”. As one local white comedian/ventriloquist put it “I grew up with the ‘we hate apartheid, but we benefited from it’ group”… the current democratically elected government has seemingly just left its people to fend for themselves – “If you want wealth, go get it”. This mentality, of every man for himself, has perpetuated from government down throughout South Africa, where we only seem to galvanize when our national sports team takes the field. There’s a lot of angst, frustration, unresolved anger, hurt and passion brewing beneath the surface, issues that weren’t dealt with in the Truth and reconciliation Commission (which should not have ended so soon) for example. Most uneducated black people (a result of every SA gov.) are too quick to haul out the race card whenever something goes against them, and most white people are too afraid/ashamed to talk about the past, and pain and suffering they know little of. I don’t know what it’s like to be forced from my home under an oppressive government and dangerous security police as I’ve grown up in a sheltered environment, mostly in the new South Africa, but older generations of my family can speak of such experiences – and that’s just one aspect… We’ve come out of an evil regime, and simply tried to live normally, act as we usually would if there was never an apartheid to speak of, but the scar on the nation as a whole is too deep to ignore. Plainly put, there’s very little dialogue between portions of society, a place or moment where one or many can vent their concerns and frustrations. So everyone seems to talk amongst friends, or keep their thoughts to themselves. I finished compiling and writing this article shortly after an introspective stroll down the Sea point promenade. Sitting there on a bench watching ships disappear and emerge from the mist off shore, looking down into the deep blue of the Atlantic, feeling the refreshing breeze which took the sting out of a hot day… What we see is nothing new; pain is pain, the world keeps turning and simple things will always be made to look complicated. Tides will continue to ebb and flow, and we will struggle on, always finding ourselves as our own worst foe.
The violence which has become common place in SA, and which for so many abroad is synonymous with us, is perhaps the civil war we should have had but didn’t. It was a miracle that we averted war – a poster for peace and reconciliation – but the same tools we carried in anticipation for conflict and survival, we now use on ourselves, frothing up in various forms, from drug and alcohol abuse to violence against our fellow men and women, compounded further by corruption, poverty, AIDS, all forms of crime, a lack of education, and thence morals and ethics - it's a different, passive kind of civil war. It's always amazing to me, just a few days ago my family played host to some friends from Switzerland, and their impression, along with countless others who've visited our shores, was that South African's are a warm and loving people, always ready to accommodate... so, when we put our best foot forward we can be example's for the world, but at the same time, our internal conflict can be the shame of the world - or at least one example of it... During the last days of apartheid, so many people prayed for a peaceful end, the country was a nervous hive of tension and prayer,as most sought God's guidance in our most trying time... how many though continued, and are still praying for the wellbeing of the nation? |
[Banner illustration by Joel Kanar]
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