Recently, I watched Zombieland (again). It is an enjoyable take on the zombie genre, taking a more humorous look at a nation full of the walking dead, where four survivors, plus Bill Murray, for a brief time, try to remain survivors and find something worth surviving for. Throughout the flick, one of four protagonists, Columbus, keeps a list of rules to follow if one hopes to survive in Zombieland. For some reason, as I was walking this morning, I began to think about the film and those rules. At some point, I came to the conclusion that those rules of Zombieland are not exclusive to the land of decay and anarchy. They are universal rules, rules that can aid us all in our quest to survive, and to find something to survive for.
Our four intrepid travels try to make their way through a land where all around them are beings whose only concern in consuming what they crave. Is that really that different from our "real" world? I look around and see being after being doing nothing more than thoughtlessly moving from one consumer opportunity to the next, devouring warm-blooded souls that stand before them. So, why wouldn't the rules of Zombieland apply to our world too? Columbus numbers his rules for survival, and I remember a few of those numbers, but not all of them, so forgive me for omitting some of the numbering. Some of the rules are just common sense, and their application is obvious. "Wear a seatbelt." Duh. "Always do cardio." That is good advice for all of us. "Beware of public bathrooms." Need I explain? Some seem out of place in our pre-apocalyptic world, but they really do fit. "Double-tap" is one example. In Zombieland, it refers to always taking the time to deliver a second shot or blow to the head of the zombie that has been trying to munch your noggin. How does that relate to our world? It is simple. Each of us should take the time to go beyond "good enough" and make sure a job is done correctly, or at least as well as we possibly can do it. Why not take that opportunity to be completely certain that we have made things right, especially if not doing so could one day come back to bite us in the, well, noggin?
One rule is particularly meaningful. Rule 32 states: Enjoy the little things. In the movie, Tallahassee, played by Wood Harrelson, wants nothing more than a Twinkie. Not a Swiss Roll, not a Sno-Ball. A Twinkie. Those little yellow spongecakes are his Holy Grail. If he can find a Twinkie, he can be happy. (Before you smart-alecks point out that Hostess has gone out of business and the Twinkie is no more, I point out a news story on local channel which aired tonight. The Twinkie is back in business, baby!)
Rule 32. How much happier could each of us be if we just allowed ourselves to enjoy the little things? I must admit that I often refuse to follow this rule. I get wrapped up in the big, bad world, I worry about what has not happened yet but might, and I fret over the little negatives, rather than enjoy the little positives. Right now, I am making a pledge to do what I can to follow Rule 32 more in my life. To double tap rule 32, if you will. Those little things are all around, always occurring. That moment when my daughter sprints across the library to give her dad a hug. A glimpse of an incredibly large full moon on a late June night. A message from a former student who has moved on to find success, whatever that may be. Dylan making chocolate chip cookies. That brief 2 degree drop in temperature on a 100 degree day when a cloud moves in front of the sun. Sharing a memory with a sibling because it made you chuckle. Shoulder rubs after a long day. A kiss or a hug before you leave the house. The feeling in a lockeroom just after quiet time. A word of encouragement from a colleague. That moment when someone "gets it". Laughter, whenever. And so on and so on.
So, there you go. Oh, and don't forget Rule 17 of Zombieland: Don't be a hero. Columbus came to the realization that that rule had to be changed: Be a hero. You might be one right now. You might be responsible for one of those little things that make this world worth surviving.
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