The Walking Dead: No one gets to clock out today
By Susie Graham
When Rick Grimes made his stand against the walker herd on The Walking Dead, the entire crew in Alexandria stepped up and pitched in to wipe them out.
As Eugene put it, “No one gets to clock out today.” How did so many people get the courage to redeem themselves and join in when they had been hesitant and even cowardly until now?
The Alexandrians could no longer be in denial with the herd in their streets, but what brought them out into the streets? Why did they stop peering through the windows and join the stand?
Rick Grimes. Rick brought them into the streets. Rick Grimes gave them the courage. But Rick Grimes had been in Alexandria for a while now. Why didn’t he bring out their courage before?
This Rick was fighting for them and fighting for himself in a way that made them see that all the words he had spoken in the past few weeks were spoken with pure intentions.
His intentions were lost in insults and fights and perceived arrogance. Nobody likes to feel stupid. Nobody likes to be belittled. Your message might be completely accurate, but nobody is listening if the way you deliver it is by belittling the people to whom you’re delivering the message.
With Gabriel, the group had always been distrustful and mean. Then Rick tore down his flyers and shut down attempts to be helpful. Eugene lacked confidence. Rosita yelled at him because she was afraid of losing him.
Rick told the Alexandrians they had no idea what they were doing. They were wrong, but they thought they were trying when they built a community to block out the ugly and attempt to keep the pretty.
Once Rick started to break through their denial and let them know he would teach them how to survive, they started to become more receptive. But he didn’t teach them. He thought letting them see how hard things are was teaching them. That’s not teaching; that’s proving a point.
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When the plan came and had a little trouble, he tried to give them a little pep talk. Then a huge monkey wrench came when the tower fell and the herd invaded. Rick told he everyone to run and find safety.
Watching Rick make his way to safety and then go back out and make a stand for himself, his family and them, that act is what gave them courage. Rick could have waited in safety, peering out of a window like everyone else, but he risked everything for them.
Sometimes courage isn’t developed over time. Sometimes courage is thrust upon us when a moment comes and it’s now or never and we choose now. We don’t know what comes over us, we just do it.
When Rick Grimes took his stand, he showed them that they are all his people as Deanna had said. He was proclaiming the town of Alexandria as their town, not his town. It gave everyone that something inside that says, “I’m going for it.”
They all joined in to save their town. They felt connected. They felt supported. They felt loved. They felt brave and strong.
Sasha said it to Daryl when he was hurt. They would go fix him up at home. Alexandria is their home.