Zombies!!!

 Imagine you are walking down a dark alley on a blustery autumn evening.  The leaves crackle beneath your feet, as a rusty gate swings on its hinges as you pass it.  A crow erupts loudly, suddenly, overhead, and you nearly jump out of your skin.  A cloud passes over the moon, and what little light guided your steps disappears, leaving you walking aimlessly forward in the bitter chill of the night. 
 You walk faster, tightening your coat around you.
 Suddenly, the moon peers through a break in the roiling clouds, and illuminates the path ahead.  You see a figure, shuffling slowly, towards you.  Arms outstretched, it moans as it drags one of it's feet.  At first, you wonder if this person needs help.  As he, or it, passes beneath a streetlight, now closer, you gasp in horror at what you see.

 We've all heard of zombies.  There are books about them, movies about them, games about them, heck, even songs about them!  There are literally people who have a Zombie Apocalypse Plan, ready to implement at the first sign of a viral outbreak.  I know, because I am one of them.

 However, before we get caught up in preparing for a worldwide plague of the undead, we should stop and take a closer look at ourselves.  I think we'll find that there are already zombies among us, and we, in fact, may even be counted among them.

 It's so easy to get in "zombie mode" sometimes.  I think high school is an excellent example of this. 
Raise from the bed. Eat. Trudge off to school. Eat. Shuffle to work. Eat. Groan while you do Homework. Sleep. 
  Of course, that would be a model teenage zombie.  If they were anything like me, it might look more like Eat. Sleep. School. Eat. Video Games. Eat. Sleep.
 Regardless of what kind of life you lead, we tend to build routines.  Aristotle stated that "we humans are creatures of habit".  We set up a system that requires the least effort, and once you are comfortable, you can function with minimal brain activity.  Before you know it, it's five o' clock and you can't remember what you ate for lunch.  You are a zombie!

 To once again quote President Dieter F. Uchtdorf,

 "My dear brothers and sisters, we would do well to... focus on the significant, lift up our eyes, and truly see the things that matter most. Let us be mindful of the foundational precepts our Heavenly Father has given to His children that will establish the basis of a rich and fruitful mortal life with promises of eternal happiness." Every moment of life is an indescribable blessing!  We just can't afford to waste minutes, days, months, even years of our lives, whiling away the time just "going through the motions"! Remember, "this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God; yea, behold the day of this life is the day for men to perform their labors." Snap out of the routine, go for a walk in the park, take in a deep breath of fresh air and appreciate the blessing that it is to be alive!
 If not, well, then you're just another zombie.