Introduction Throughout this class, I assumed that books would try and teach me survival skills. I thought some common concepts might include starting fires, purifying water, or finding shelter. When I realized the scope of the class was more focused on stories as opposed to skills, I was initially confused. I asked myself: "What is the value of reading about a handful of different fictional narratives when every apocalyptic scenario is only a guess of how the world could end?" While survival skills may benefit the class in the case of an actual apocalypse, the variety of perspectives that each book offers can enable students to be more insightful and considerate whether there is an apocalypse or not. The chances of an apocalypse in our lifetime may be higher than I initially thought. The effects of Covid-19 demonstrated how a serious disaster could spiral out of control. The lack of governmental response and the virus's danger becoming a political debate demonstrates mankind's inability to effectively contain the effects of a virus. Described by David Quammen in "Spillover," people are essentially waiting for a virus to punish mankind for its rapid population growth. Mankind itself is an outbreak, and our high population makes us vulnerable. According to “Spillover,” viruses are the biggest threat. An ignorant response to a serious threat may be the nail in the coffin and is a similar fate to the world in Margrett Atwood’s “The Year of The Flood.” Or maybe the actual apocalypse seems straight out of a science fiction novel and we could all die from an alien race or zombies. Truly the fate of the world is not in one singular person's control. Although some apocalyptic scenarios are more likely, the future is never finite until it has become the past. Therefore, it is important to consider what a healthy world looks like and make decisions that preserve what is good. “Preserving what is good” is a blanket statement. “good” is sometimes hard to identify. Most people have mercy on themselves when their decisions are less than ideal. “good” becomes “good enough.” The idea of a healthy world blurs into one that still supports life and then supports life becomes supports mankind. Our decisions grow apart from the impact that they have on our environment and are primarily motivated by the selfish individual implications. This can be seen in Tom Sweterlitsch’s “The Gone World” through the pursuit of immortality. This can also be seen in real life as people refused to stay home to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus because it was hindering their social life. The health of our environment seems to be vulnerable to the decision making of the selfish because naturally it takes fewer people to destroy something than it does to build it. What is Important? That is why instinctually I thought it important to be physically prepared for an apocalypse. So, I asked the question: “What is the most important item to have in an apocalypse?” As a mechanical engineer, I can create a solid model of a hypothetical multitool that could save my life. Or maybe all I need is a creative and sneaky weapon to protect myself. A SolidWorks file is something I am familiar with. I could even print off a prototype using a 3-D printer. But what is the best item? After sifting through the many varieties of apocalypse that these novels offer, it is relatively hard to pick a single item that’s useful in every scenario. Maybe a weapon is most important in a zombie apocalypse, but how helpful is that during a virus outbreak? Maybe a tool could help build a shelter, but couldn’t I already find something that is already sold at any store? A water purification system could certainly do some good in most scenarios, but rainwater may work well enough. Maybe I am thinking too literally. Revelations Although some characters like Eddie in Louise Eldrich’s “Future Home of The Living God” see the end of the world as an opportunity, most of the survivors spend their remaining time struggling to rebuild. The only reason that Eddie’s character is happier is because his world has not ended, his life’s opportunities have broadened. No one is happy to lose their home. No one is happy to lose their loved ones. Whether you are happy about what has been lost or not, the survivors are left with the responsibility of rebuilding. This realization pointed to novels such as Emily Mandel’s “Station Eleven” and Colson Whitehead’s “Zone One” which describe the struggle of rebuilding. Zone One ends drearily with no reason to survive, while Station Eleven quietly describes the rebirth of humanity in a post-apocalyptic world. These two novels have very different outcomes and tones. Zone One describes the faults of today’s world and uses a grueling zombie executioner life to describe the pointlessness of day-to-day life even before the apocalypse. Station Eleven describes personal connections, character growth, and living life to do things that we enjoy with people that we trust. This made me wonder: “What sets them apart?” Maybe its just a matter of perspective. While Kirsten in Station Eleven cares about her peers, Mark Spitz in Zone One doesn’t allow himself to make meaningful connections. Perhaps Kirsten was able to hold onto her belief that there was still an opportunity for the world to be good. Further analysis of Kirsten’s story includes items from her past like the paper weight, or her comics. These items tie her back into a world before all the pain and enable her to remember what life could be like. Her survival still requires gruesome actions and a long road moving forward, but she has faith that life is worth living. My inability to pick a singular item was my subconscious recognizing that the most value isn't in possession. Possessions can be scavenged by those who survive. The rarest scenario to is to feel “ok” while the world around us crumbles. The conclusion of "Zone One" made me realize the hardest thing to keep is not directly our life. It's our will to live. Therefore, the best item to have during the apocalypse is not a tool, a weapon, or anything that enables physical survival. The best item to have is something that reminds you of why life is worth living. My Creation To try and make something that would be my own personal survival item, I wanted something that reminded me to value meaningful connections, remember my loved ones, and remind me of home. I decided that I would create something handmade but use engineering models and a logical process to make it nice. The most important part of this item is the picture it contains. A picture of my family when we were all happy reminds me of home. My smile in the picture reminds of times before things were complicated. The picture I selected is old enough to remind me of when me and my siblings lived together, when I had meaningful connections with both of my parents and when I had less on my plate. Although some of those things have changed now, this picture still reminds me that everyday is an opportunity to be that happy. I'm not an artist nor am I very good with my hands. The imperfections that came from assembly help make it personal, and if I don't care now, why would I during an apocalypse? So here is my attempt at making something meaningful using a couple engineering tools to guide the process. . Objective: To create something personal which should not be inconvenient to carry and stand the test of time. Solid Model: Steps:
Results: The chosen picture shows my brother, sister and myself still taking goofy pictures together despite our family having paid for a professional photographer. Final Comments Inscribed on the back panel is an equation I was taught during my football years. Remembering this equation seemed like a valuable lesson to keep in mind during tough times but also applies to regular life. The equation is: E + R = O This stands for: Event + Response = Outcome This equation is an acknowledgment that sometimes the least favorable things happen. Although it is simple, this equation reminds me that no matter the circumstances, we still contribute to the outcome. Below the equation reads: “Earn Your Tomorrow” This corresponds to my own belief that people should expect to have to earn what they want from life. This statement encourages me to remember the turmoil I have lived through to this point reminds me that I can make it through. Although this item is great to have if I ever found myself left behind in a gone world, this item is also a reminder that every day is worth living. These books remind us that the actions we choose every day contribute to the tomorrow we wake up to. I am prepared to do my part in working today for a better tomorrow.
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