"You Gotta Enjoy the Little Things"

I wouldn't describe myself as a Zombie uber-fan, but one of my favorite movies in the genre has got to be Zombieland. For some reason, the combination of comedy and horror that characterizes the movie works just right for me. The cast is excellent, and the dialogue is hilarious. 

That said, one of my favorite lines from the movie--and arguably one of the most iconic lines in the film as a whole--is Tallahassee's line, "You gotta enjoy the little things."

In a time like the one we're living in now--between the pandemic, the politics, and every other kind of people-induced fuckuppery--it's truly brought into focus the things on which we should really focus. As is usual in such situations, it's the things we so often take for granted.

Being able to visit family.

Hanging out with friends.

Browsing through your favorite store.

Sitting in a café and enjoying your favorite coffee.

Going to a bar and having a drink.

Having the option to enjoy a night in or having a night out.

Hugging people.

In a pre-COVID world, we never took stock of these small moments, these small actions. As it is with such things, we never realized how important they were to us until we couldn't do them anymore--at least not without risking our health.

I ruminate on these things because just the other day, my family took the time to visit our older relatives in mid-Missouri, whom we hadn't seen since last Christmas. Some of them are struggling through things that put them in the "high-risk" category of COVID, which is why we haven't visited in so long. This weekend though, we risked it and went for a brief day-visit, just to touch base. Thankfully, most of them live in rural areas, so the likelihood of them contracting the virus is fairly low, but we still needed to see them. In uncertain times, you never know which visit will be the last visit.

I write this now to urge everyone who will read it to do the same. Don't take the people who matter to you in life for granted. If you can, don't miss the opportunity to speak to or see them every chance you get. If there's a question or a conversation you've been meaning to have with someone, something you feel the need to set the record straight on or hash out, do it now. You may not get another chance.

But while you're doing it, also don't forget to relish the moment. As much as the highlights, the sorts of things we humble-brag about on social media or immortalize in photos, are a part of our lives and should celebrate, we also need to treasure and enjoy the little things too.