The Walking Dead, Survival Rule Of The Week: Appreciate what you have

If there was one lesson to take from The Walking Dead’s midseason finale, it’s to appreciate what you have…while you still have it.

Christmas time is here! Merry Christmas, everyone!

With the holidays being here, it makes you think about the meaning of the season (Outside of the obvious). I see it as a time to spread joy and appreciate what you have, like family, friends, and a home.

Sadly, in a zombie apocalypse, joy’s in short supply and we can lose family and friends in an instant. It is, therefore, imperative that everyday we exist in a zombie apocalypse, we should appreciate the good things in our lives while we have them.

For an example of why it’s so imperative, we need look no further than the end of The Walking Dead’s midseason finale.

After returning from captivity at the hands of the Scavengers, Rick’s discovered that Carl was bitten by a walker.

After all this time, after surviving so much, and losing so many friends and family members, Carl is now going to die.

Rick, Michonne, and the rest of the inhabitants of Alexandria have only hours left to spend with Carl.

Sadly, this is what we would have to prepare for if we found ourselves in a zombie apocalypse.

Though extended exposure to the dead may cause survivors to grow accustomed to them, that never stops zombies from being lethal.

All it really takes is one lapse of judgment, one overlooked area, one misstep, or one bit of bad luck to wind up on the wrong end of a zombie’s teeth. One minute you’re fine, the next? Doomed.

It’s why, no matter how long you’ve been around them, you can never underestimate zombies. Just when you think you have them, the sound of you fighting can draw more, and suddenly, you’re in a far more dangerous situation than you expected.

Again, we have to look to Carl.

He was simply trying to help Siddiq put down a pair of walkers, owing to the latter’s belief that by doing so, he was freeing their souls.

Sadly, as they approached the pair, more came up from behind them, turning something routine into something deadly.

However, that doesn’t take away from the fact that Carl was trying to do a good thing, this is what you need to appreciate.

Of course, people aren’t the only thing you should stop to appreciate in a zombie apocalypse.

If you have anything you can even remotely consider “a home” after the dead rise, you should cherish it.

You’ll likely find that plenty of people won’t have a secure place to separate them from the dead. Without perimeter defenses, buildings can become deathtraps, meaning any random herd can drive people out of any such unprotected shelters.

At the same time, even if you have a decent base, hostiles can destroy it if they have the means. All it may take is some well thrown Molotov cocktails to turn your base to ashes.

So, if you have a (relatively) secure place in a zombie apocalypse, be thankful for it everyday you have it.

Frankly, you need to appreciate any good things you have after a zombie apocalypse sets in.

Be grateful for all the good people you have around you. Remember the good times you’ve had with them and just sit back and enjoy being around them. Hang out with them, have fun with them, whatever it is you do together, do it with them.

Be grateful for the things you have. Your “home”/ your base, the things in it that help distract you from zombies for a while, all of it.

Appreciate what you have in a zombie apocalypse, because it can all disappear in the blink of an eye.

This is why you follow…The Rules.

Next: The Walking Dead Theory: Is the red machete CURSED?

And that’s our survival rule of the week!! Hopefully, it will help you should you ever need it and give you that mental edge that will prove so crucial once the dead start eating everyone.

If you like this and want to find out more rules to survive the zombie apocalypse, why not pick up a copy of my book, The Rules: A Guide To Surviving The Zombie Apocalypse! You can get it on Kindle here and on iTunes here!