Skip to main content

Zombies - Relationship Builders or Blood Thirsty Undead?



 Seems like a no-brainer right?  (Oh man I am on a roll today!)  Posed with almost ANY questionnaire about zombies I would be  the person viciously checking off the box beside Blood Thirsty Undead---over and over and over while looking around nervously, evaluating the odds of shoving  the pen into a zombie's brain without getting bit myself. 
 
I like to read or watch fiction about vampires, werewolves, witches, angels, daemons, jinn and other sorts of FICTIONAL creatures.  But for some reason, I don't lump zombies in there. To me, zombies could be real. 
 
Yah, yah, I know.

Stop laughing.
 
Or getting indignant. 
 
It just is.

Yes, this is my sword.

One minute they are human, the next minute they are walking human flesh eaters.  And no, I don't think it is odd that we have a sword on our wall in the living room (thank you Michonne).  And yes I thought World War Z was terrifying (even though my MOTHER, who took my step-father to see his first 3-D movie ever and chose to take him to THAT one) though it was silly, campy fun. Zombies freak me out.  And, they also freak-out my step-son (the Middle One).
 
I have been with The Spouse for 11 and a half years and engaged for 10 and a half of them (I can hear your smirk).  So the Middle One only knows me with his dad since he was 2 and a half. But, we have not been close.  Oh I can give a million excuses about not wanting to step on his mom's toes (he does not refer to me as mom---and I would not want my oldest calling his dad's new wife 'mom' so I have never made the request, nor he the offer), or jealous of how the Spouse seems to give him special leeway since he doesn't live with us; or resentment of how we have to juggle plans to pick him up and drop him off for ALL visits; and maybe it is a combo of all these things, I dunno.
 
What I do know is that during mid Season One of The Walking Dead.....the Middle One asked me if I watched it and I said yes.  Suddenly, we had something to talk about.  The Spouse doesn't watch so suddenly, we had a connection!  We talked animatedly about what was happening, what had happed and what we thought would happen.  As time went on, we rehashed the graphic novel plots and critiqued the decisions of the show to divert from the graphic novel plots into new territory.  This was crazy---now anyone and everyone was up for grabs!
 
That Christmas, I went online and found a Walking Dead t-shirt and ordered a replica Rick Grimes sheriff's ball hat for him.  He loved them! 
 
Season 2 only gave us more to talk about!  We shared predictions and gory details and excitedly
shared YouTube clips of the upcoming Season 3.  His birthday resulted in a custom made Darryl Dixon WWDD shirt (what would Daryl do?) which he immediately put on. 
 
The Middle one doesn't have cable.  So his jaw dropped on his weekend visit when I reminded him he could watch the first two episodes of Season 3 on Rogers on Demand.  He vanished to the basement.  Then we had lots to talk about!
 
So, should someone present me with a survey where I had to check off either that zombies were relationship builders or blood thirsty undead, and I bet there is THAT  survey out there, I would now have to take a moment and perhaps, ask if I could check off both boxes.
 
 
  

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Shame is A Full-Contact Emotion (Brené Brown)

It is a cool outside this morning and I have on my fluffy red robe as I sit outside and watch the birds flit back and forth from the fence to the feeder----arrogantly tossing aside imperfect sunflower seeds to get to the good ones.   The discarded seeds, some empty, some full, punctuate my deck, waiting for the squirrels, who will later claim this easy buffet. I am still reading Brené and The Gifts of Imperfection. Feels a bit like learning a new language ---I see the words---I hear the words---but the meaning is so diffuse...I need to read and reread and sometimes, even read out loud to make the words stick It is hard work.    And while the smooth cover of her book lies balanced on my palm, seemingly weightless, many of the concepts have a density that knocks me flat on my ass ---like a large medicine ball. CATCH THIS ONE!   Oooooooof!   I am down.    Eyes wide, trying to catch my breath, wrestling with the weight of hefty concepts like shame, authenticity, wholeh

Dr. Dr.

When we moved to Brampton I needed to find a family doctor---at 37--not married--two weeks into a new job in a different city--sleeping on an air mattress on the floor while my partner and son were wrapping things up in our London condo where they were still living---I found myself pregant . I went online and found a website that provided the names of doctors in various parts of Ontario who were accepting patients.  Of the few names listed I was immediately attracted to one.  Dr. Patricia Francis--a woman --who had studied in Ireland.  This to me was a sign. I am of Irish background and if you know Brampton at all you will know that finding her seems like a bit of the luck o' the Irish.  I was escorted into a room where a lovely coffee skinned, well dressed woman with a gorgeous South African accent I couldn't place asked the reason for my visit.  I told her I needed to speak to the doctor about a bit of a crisis.  Her eyes popped open as she sat down putting one hand on m

Asking for Help

My oldest son walked into the kitchen last night while I was drying the pot I had just used to make marshmallow squares.  He leaned against the wall, eyes downcast, unfocused and spoke in a soft voice: "Mom.  Tomorrow.  Just so you know.  Something has happened and I cannot remember a SINGLE thing about ANY of the stuff that will be on the exam.  So.  Just so you aren't expecting anything.  I am going to fail the exam.  Probably need summer school.  Will have to quit my job.  Will get my university offer rescinded. But it is probably too late for summer school so.  It is just all over." I put down the pot and gave him a hug.  (no hug back) I told him it was fine. He was fine. He remembered stuff--he had an 87 going into the exam! You can't have marks like that if you don't remember stuff?! Right? I could see the tears forming in his eyes.  He still wouldn't look at me. "Ok.  Get your jacket we are going for a walk.  Your brain is in overload a