On the matter of living the life of the living dead
The life of the living dead is not realizing that you are *alive*. It can be giving in to "the system" and doing what others tell you that you should to do. It can be giving to the "whatever" attitude and being continually high. However you achieve it, the life of the living dead is about making sure you never have enough time or enough sobriety to feel the pain or consider making a change in your life. It's waking up each day and doing the same thing and hating it, but not caring enough to stop. It's when you've given up and nothing matters.

It's what I think of when I hear "deadheading" or the phrase "giving up and giving in" or words with "-holic" in them like "alcoholic" or "workaholic." No one word or phase can convey the entire concept though. I can't really explain the feeling that goes with the life of the living dead or define all the ways one could feel it, but I've been there and I know that I don't ever want to live that life again.

This may explain some things, like why I don't drink or do drugs (aside from the illegality, health risks, and the fact that I really don't like the taste of alcoholic beverages) and why I refuse to take a "whatever" or "f--- work/school" view of life. My work at avoiding the life of the living dead draws me toward songs which warn against that life and ideas like "work hard/play hard". Most importantly though, this history is why I insist on caring, about my friends, about my work, about life in general. So if it seems like a care a little too much, maybe that's because the other option seems to me to be a little too close to death.

Enjoy life.

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