If a shambling horde has set up camp outside your front and back doors, it is probably a bit late to think about preparations for a zombie infestation.
Grab yourself a backpack (toss in some canned food, first aid supplies, whatever prescriptions you’re taking), as much potable water as you have canisters for and a pillow, and climb up into your attic or crawlspace … and hope for the best.
If the living dead have not yet overrun your city, you have some time to really think about what you will do to survive the apocalypse.
Only those who seriously consider the future and act to plan for it now have any chance at survival. And like I said before, as with any issue facing the human race – poverty, hunger, human rights, the environment — we are stronger if we stick together.
Here are a few things to consider as you craft a plan to stay alive:
Get Informed. Without doubt the best practical guide on the market for preparation and survival is The Zombie Survival Guide by Max Brooks. For those with lead time, Brooks provides a thorough look at the types of zombie interactions you may encounter, strategies for engagement, packing lists and the pros and cons of various types of weaponry.
Do not rely on local, state or federal security forces to mount a rapid successful counter attack. Depending on the speed of transmission and communications, first responders may be unaware of what they are dealing with and thus become some of the first population groups to fall prey to the zombie hordes. Even if they are informed of the danger, the compulsion to protect and serve is likely only hold as long as individual personnel feel they and their families are safe. I mention this not to malign the brave men and women who work to keep us all safe, but to point out that the “safety nets” we rely on do not, and should not, take the place of personal responsibility…. ever.
Do not rely on the “government” in general to save you. Again, by the time state and federal officials craft a strategy to counterattack against mass zombie infestations, you are likely to be little more than road kill. And not to burst any bubbles – but whatever government strategy pursued is most likely to center around preserving the government, not John or Jane Every Person. We must demand the governance we desire … and waiting until zombies are breaking through your car windows is just plain silly.
Maintain your sense of humanity. By all means protect yourself and those you love first. It’s only human to do so. But if you are in a position to reach out strategically to those around you either to provide assistance in a pinch or to form a lasting alliance, do so. Too bleeding heart for you? Ok, but then don’t expect others to abandon safety or hiding places when you find yourself surrounded by a hungry mob.
Take charge. Remember the immortal words of Abraham Lincoln “government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.” Realistically, few of us make it a practice of our daily schedules to take an active role to promote our collective governance … we in the U.S. prefer, for the most part, to be predominantly a “coach quarterback” nation when it comes to politics. The zombie apocalypse provides an opportunity for citizens around the world to band together, first to survive and later to build more humane, equitable and representative governance structures.
Form a community. Forget political, racial, gender, religious differences and band together for survival. Does this mean you need to be singing Kumbaya around a campfire with every breathing member of the human race you encounter? No. The truth is all these “us vs. them” characteristics that serve to divide us really mean little. They blind us to our collective power. Keep us all from being the best we can be as individuals, societies, countries. In the face of annihilation by the zombie masses can we finally overcome??? The responsibility lies with each and every one of us.
Feel free to disagree with me on any of the above. I won’t mind ….really.
And, yes, if I hear you screaming outside the walls of my chosen temporary shelter, transportation vehicle or chosen stop-off points en route to seclusion I will still do my best to help you survive.