Relative Something

Imagine if our lives were an all new episode. Would we wait around for the preview scenes after a word from our sponsor? Something tells me there wouldn’t be as many complications as are typically found in a 1-hour television drama. I think one of the reasons I am such a fan of post-apocalyptic stories is that they depict future societies that no longer have the television frame of reference.

Sometimes I wonder what life was truly like for people in the past who lived in a rural environment without radio or television entertainment. At the same time, I am inclined to want to compare them to the way people of today would adapt if they were put in the same situation of no radio or television. A post-apocalyptic scenario, void of electricity, creates just that opportunity for me.

I was captivated by Cormac McCarthy’s novel, “The Road” and for the most part, enjoyed the interpretation of a post-apocalyptic USA as depicted in the movie, “The Book of Eli,” but I always come away from such stories wondering about the likelihood that the way the author or film director depict the vision is anywhere near what might actually occur. I have difficulty dissecting which parts seem genuinely possible from the parts that seem overly dramatized Hollywood manipulations. Then it kind of becomes a snake eating its tail. Time to think about something else…

Like packing to go out of town for a weekend? No, I won’t think about that yet. I’ve still got a few hours before it is time to leave. Here’s to all the things I didn’t get accomplished before it came time to go. Trust me, it makes for really dreary drama. On the other hand, it is an all new episode!