Aaaaaaaarrrrrgggghhhh… What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear this type of guttural growl? Someone waking up? A person in physical pain? A ghost? No, zombies! But… what is with the zombies? Why is everybody so crazy about them? Is it because we are all wondering about what will happen to us if a real zombie apocalypse occurred? Or is it because of a more important reason?
I have to admit it… I am a zombie lover. I consider myself a big fan of the world of the guts and the “brain eaters”, not only because of some personal preference, but also because of the analogy with reality that is hidden behind this horror fantasy created by George A. Romero.
Sometimes, without any intention or premeditation, the most conscious part of me forces me to look around and to become aware of where I am standing; that is when I realize I am already living in a zombie apocalypse.
Modern society and technology has made us very dependent people… all because of consumerism. It has made us numb. We are unable to keep our eyes off our cell phones. Even when we are gathered with our family or friends, we tend to pay more attention to all the little noises our phone is producing than to the people around us. Families all over the world have dinner with the TV on, without even noticing who is sitting next to them, what things are on the table for them to eat… they are not even aware of what they are actually eating!
What is happening to us? I don’t know if this is the normal process of evolution for human beings, or maybe we are creating machines that, in a not very far future, will take away from us all those things that make us human.
I am not sure if you have heard about this thing called Zombie walk. Groups of people that gather in a specific part of a city to start wandering around the streets, all dressed up as zombies. When I first heard about these very particular annual meetings, the first thing I did was thinking about the clothes and make-up I would need to take part in this activity. Later on, I realize that we are all already zombies!. We get up early, we eat, we go to work, we eat, we get back home, we eat again and then we go to bed only to start the same routine over and over again. We eat without really tasting what we eat, we feel without really feeling anything, we look without paying real attention to what we are looking at. I honestly believe we are only missing an ON/OFF button!.
As a matter of consolation, I told myself that what is truly ours as humans is something that is constantly moving, evolving… the power of thinking, of giving opinions. Our mind has the amazing ability of traveling from one idea to a new one at a very high speed. The way our brain works allows us to keep our feet on the ground, to be active, to be awake… away from the feeling of wanting to eat a brain. But then I asked myself… do we really need a brain? Why do we even need a brain if we don’t communicate what’s inside of them? So many people in silence. So many people here… in silence.
I wish there was a “No Technology” day. Not a single electronic device on for only one day. Can you picture that? Our economy will fall! Poor big companies and their “oh so innocent” owners!... who cares?!. I am sure if there was no electricity at all for only one day, we would look at each other’s eyes again. We would enjoy the smell after it rains, we would take notice of the uncertain way of a drop of water sliding down on the window glass. YOU would truly appreciate a hug from your mother or a friend or a classmate… or a simple and completely unexpected “thank you” from a stranger… or the company of that street dog, happily waving its tail just because you acknowledge its presence.
To sum up, I can tell you that the “living dead” don’t scare me at all. I fear the “living” the most. I fear the ones that are here and now, wasting time in a lifeless life, too afraid to wake up. And those poor souls who are brave enough to wake up and see the reality, end up convincing themselves that they are the crazy ones… and that with a little bit of luck and a lot of Prozac they will manage to get “better” and finally understand what’s important in life… BRAINZZZZZZZ!
I have to admit it… I am a zombie lover. I consider myself a big fan of the world of the guts and the “brain eaters”, not only because of some personal preference, but also because of the analogy with reality that is hidden behind this horror fantasy created by George A. Romero.
Sometimes, without any intention or premeditation, the most conscious part of me forces me to look around and to become aware of where I am standing; that is when I realize I am already living in a zombie apocalypse.
Modern society and technology has made us very dependent people… all because of consumerism. It has made us numb. We are unable to keep our eyes off our cell phones. Even when we are gathered with our family or friends, we tend to pay more attention to all the little noises our phone is producing than to the people around us. Families all over the world have dinner with the TV on, without even noticing who is sitting next to them, what things are on the table for them to eat… they are not even aware of what they are actually eating!
What is happening to us? I don’t know if this is the normal process of evolution for human beings, or maybe we are creating machines that, in a not very far future, will take away from us all those things that make us human.
I am not sure if you have heard about this thing called Zombie walk. Groups of people that gather in a specific part of a city to start wandering around the streets, all dressed up as zombies. When I first heard about these very particular annual meetings, the first thing I did was thinking about the clothes and make-up I would need to take part in this activity. Later on, I realize that we are all already zombies!. We get up early, we eat, we go to work, we eat, we get back home, we eat again and then we go to bed only to start the same routine over and over again. We eat without really tasting what we eat, we feel without really feeling anything, we look without paying real attention to what we are looking at. I honestly believe we are only missing an ON/OFF button!.
As a matter of consolation, I told myself that what is truly ours as humans is something that is constantly moving, evolving… the power of thinking, of giving opinions. Our mind has the amazing ability of traveling from one idea to a new one at a very high speed. The way our brain works allows us to keep our feet on the ground, to be active, to be awake… away from the feeling of wanting to eat a brain. But then I asked myself… do we really need a brain? Why do we even need a brain if we don’t communicate what’s inside of them? So many people in silence. So many people here… in silence.
I wish there was a “No Technology” day. Not a single electronic device on for only one day. Can you picture that? Our economy will fall! Poor big companies and their “oh so innocent” owners!... who cares?!. I am sure if there was no electricity at all for only one day, we would look at each other’s eyes again. We would enjoy the smell after it rains, we would take notice of the uncertain way of a drop of water sliding down on the window glass. YOU would truly appreciate a hug from your mother or a friend or a classmate… or a simple and completely unexpected “thank you” from a stranger… or the company of that street dog, happily waving its tail just because you acknowledge its presence.
To sum up, I can tell you that the “living dead” don’t scare me at all. I fear the “living” the most. I fear the ones that are here and now, wasting time in a lifeless life, too afraid to wake up. And those poor souls who are brave enough to wake up and see the reality, end up convincing themselves that they are the crazy ones… and that with a little bit of luck and a lot of Prozac they will manage to get “better” and finally understand what’s important in life… BRAINZZZZZZZ!