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ernmark:
eudoxiav:
ernmark:
hyperactivehedgehog:
ernmark:
When I was in college, I wrote a paper on the real life applications of zombies.
Whether you love them or you’re sick of them, zombies as a pop cultural milestone are incredibly useful when it comes to disaster preparation. Organizations like the CDC and FEMA will run drills to train their staff using “zombie outbreak” scenarios. Parents of young children are encouraged to frame home disaster plans in terms of zombie attacks, because zombies are a fun Halloween thing, rather than something as real and scary as a tornado or a house fire.
But I notice it in other parts of my life.
I was looking into a setup for making my own rope, because reasons. When I was asked why I would even care about how to do something like that, I didn’t have to explain that it’s a neat skill to have and I like the idea of being a little more reliant on myself and a little less reliant on Target. I said “in case of zombies,” and the other person nodded like I’d said something perfectly reasonable.
Same goes when I’m making arguments for why I’d rather know how to repair my own clothes than buy new ones. I could talk about ecological waste and sweatshop labor and all that stuff, or I could say “yeah, but when the zombies come, I won’t be the one with holes in my socks.”
And yes, the person on the other side probably already knows a lot of that other stuff without me reiterating it for the thousandth time, but also, constantly talking about all the ways the world sucks is really not doing my mental health any favors. Sometimes it’s better to take a step back and pretend the scariest things we’re facing are a bunch of movie monsters that can be outpaced with a brisk walk.
You know what? This is actually really good advice.
I’m a broke student living on the 8th floor of a student housing place and I don’t know how often I wasn’t able to buy groceries because the elevator was broken. Or how often we didn’t have flowing water for a few hours, or I couldn’t wash my clothes because I didn’t have the change for the laundromat.
And a lot of times when there is one of those situations, I realise that I’m not completely prepared for that, because you never remember to prepare for everything. I’m not gonna go: i need to stack up on candles in case of a blackout. I need basic non-perishable food items so I can make easy meals if I’ve run out of money or don’t have the time/energy to go shopping. I need hand washing detergent in case I can’t use the laundromat for whatever reason. I need cash for when I can’t go to the atm. But the ‘zombie scenario’ includes all of that. A stack of water bottles? - Zombies. No-heat food stuff? - Zombies. Flashlight? - Zombies. Med kid? - Zombies. Extra batteries? - Zombies. Enough medicine for 3 days? - Zombies.
“Could I survive, alone, for 3-5 days in case of zombies?” is a pretty good question to prepare for emergencies but also to make sure there is something to fall back on in case you hit a rough patch (whether it’s a depressive episode, running out of money or just having a very stressful week).
I know that’s not what you were talking about, but I find it really helpful.
(I would also very much like to read your essay on the use of zombie)
This is exactly what I was talking about– I think you articulated it a whole lot better than I did.
I’m really glad you found it helpful!
P sure the cdc makes a zombie preparedness guide because no one was actually following their national disaster guide (which is exactly the same guide).
It literally does.
A few people have been asking about the essay– sorry, folks, but that was lost to oblivion years ago.
ernmark:
eudoxiav:
ernmark:
hyperactivehedgehog:
ernmark:
When I was in college, I wrote a paper on the real life applications of zombies.
Whether you love them or you’re sick of them, zombies as a pop cultural milestone are incredibly useful when it comes to disaster preparation. Organizations like the CDC and FEMA will run drills to train their staff using “zombie outbreak” scenarios. Parents of young children are encouraged to frame home disaster plans in terms of zombie attacks, because zombies are a fun Halloween thing, rather than something as real and scary as a tornado or a house fire.
But I notice it in other parts of my life.
I was looking into a setup for making my own rope, because reasons. When I was asked why I would even care about how to do something like that, I didn’t have to explain that it’s a neat skill to have and I like the idea of being a little more reliant on myself and a little less reliant on Target. I said “in case of zombies,” and the other person nodded like I’d said something perfectly reasonable.
Same goes when I’m making arguments for why I’d rather know how to repair my own clothes than buy new ones. I could talk about ecological waste and sweatshop labor and all that stuff, or I could say “yeah, but when the zombies come, I won’t be the one with holes in my socks.”
And yes, the person on the other side probably already knows a lot of that other stuff without me reiterating it for the thousandth time, but also, constantly talking about all the ways the world sucks is really not doing my mental health any favors. Sometimes it’s better to take a step back and pretend the scariest things we’re facing are a bunch of movie monsters that can be outpaced with a brisk walk.
You know what? This is actually really good advice.
I’m a broke student living on the 8th floor of a student housing place and I don’t know how often I wasn’t able to buy groceries because the elevator was broken. Or how often we didn’t have flowing water for a few hours, or I couldn’t wash my clothes because I didn’t have the change for the laundromat.
And a lot of times when there is one of those situations, I realise that I’m not completely prepared for that, because you never remember to prepare for everything. I’m not gonna go: i need to stack up on candles in case of a blackout. I need basic non-perishable food items so I can make easy meals if I’ve run out of money or don’t have the time/energy to go shopping. I need hand washing detergent in case I can’t use the laundromat for whatever reason. I need cash for when I can’t go to the atm. But the ‘zombie scenario’ includes all of that. A stack of water bottles? - Zombies. No-heat food stuff? - Zombies. Flashlight? - Zombies. Med kid? - Zombies. Extra batteries? - Zombies. Enough medicine for 3 days? - Zombies.
“Could I survive, alone, for 3-5 days in case of zombies?” is a pretty good question to prepare for emergencies but also to make sure there is something to fall back on in case you hit a rough patch (whether it’s a depressive episode, running out of money or just having a very stressful week).
I know that’s not what you were talking about, but I find it really helpful.
(I would also very much like to read your essay on the use of zombie)
This is exactly what I was talking about– I think you articulated it a whole lot better than I did.
I’m really glad you found it helpful!
P sure the cdc makes a zombie preparedness guide because no one was actually following their national disaster guide (which is exactly the same guide).
It literally does.
A few people have been asking about the essay– sorry, folks, but that was lost to oblivion years ago.