An Ode to the End

011-the_way_forward

At the end of it all. At the edge of the vast and unknowing void. You are so small. The pains of the world feel so distant and unimportant. And yet. When the End washes over you. When the world becomes crystal clear. You are still here. What you do still matters. And your life has the purpose you give it.

Receiver: Zak; Extractor: Kevin

Follow us at anodetotheend.com or @anodetotheend on Instagram or Twitter.

010-feedback

You can’t go back to the past. Not really. But the future can come to you. And if you know the future, you can mold the present. Optimize what comes next. Divine the major obstacles of your life. And when you make a mistake, just send a missive back to your past self and hope. Pray. That when they change you do too.

Receiver: Zak; Extractor: Kevin

Follow us at anodetotheend.com or @anodetotheend on Instagram or Twitter.

009-say_their_names

They will tell you that violence against members of your community is unavoidable. That the people they kill are to blame. That there is nothing they can do to stop this. This is a lie. A lie to protect themselves. To protect their own lives and their own means. A lie to protect their power. You do not have to accept their lies. You do not have to accept their actions. Remember the dead. Say their names. Fight for the right to exist.

Receiver: Zak; Extractor: Kevin

Follow us at anodetotheend.com or @anodetotheend on Instagram or Twitter.

008-essential

If you are being placed on the front lines, being treated like you’re dead already, making barely enough money to pay rent, remember you have value. You are more than a sophisticated meat robot that can perform basic functions. You are a human being who has the right to be alive. And the least that could be done is make sure you have a damn band-aid when you’re bleeding.

Receiver: Zak; Extractor: Kevin

Follow us at anodetotheend.com or @anodetotheend on Instagram or Twitter.

007-disappeared

You’re not allowed to yell “fire” in a crowded theater. This could cause a panic and lead to the loss of lives. You’re also not allowed to yell “fascist” in a fascist state. This could lead to riots, subversive behavior, and flying bricks. This costs lots of tear gas and, heaven forbid, the destruction of property. Don’t worry. They have tools to curb this behavior. You can be silenced from their home, in the middle of dinner, with the push of a button. Before you check on your delivery, maybe you should make some noise.

Receiver: Zak; Extractor: Kevin

Follow us at anodetotheend.com or @anodetotheend on Instagram or Twitter.

006-the_bell_tolls

In America, we all have roles to play. Some of us are leaders. Some of us build wealth. But most of us, most of us have a very specific role to play. We work. We buy. We struggle and borrow and lean on each other to survive. And when calamity strikes, our job is simple. We keep working and keep buying and keep struggling and keep dying because in America, support is only available for those who can afford it. Play your role. Try not to die.

Receiver: Zak; Extractor: Kevin

Follow us at anodetotheend.com or @anodetotheend on Instagram or Twitter.

005-worse_than_dying

The Way of Life as Americans. What does that mean? Whose way of life? Who loses their way of life when people try to stay home to be safe? Whose lives are on the line when people are told they have to go back to work? What about when people are told to go out and spend money? What New Normal are we returning to? Who are we building this Future for? Do you feel safe yet?

Receiver: Zak; Extractor: Kevin

Follow us at anodetotheend.com or @anodetotheend on Instagram or Twitter.

004-the_archivist

What is strange was once familiar. Homes crumble to dust. Flesh rots to dirt. Life finds ways to live under harsher and harsher circumstances. There will always be a future. Always a Way Forward. The universe will keep spinning even when we are not there to see it. And we are not the only ones that observe. We are not the only ones who take note.

Receiver: Zak; Extractor: Kevin

Follow us at anodetotheend.com or @anodetotheend on Instagram or Twitter.

003-counting_up

What we build and what we leave behind tells us what is important about our society. And what could be more important to us than lots and lots and lots of money. Numbers on a screen that must forever trend upwards. Infinite growth potential that only requires the sacrifice of everything around us. But at least the numbers keep growing higher. Ever higher.

Receiver: Zak; Extractor: Kevin

Follow us at anodetotheend.com or @anodetotheend on Instagram or Twitter.

002-grave_shift

It never ends. You toil, you scrape, you sweat. You get up, you go to work, you go to bed, you get up, you go to work, you go to bed. And in your dreams you see your workplace in front of you and your hands aren’t stopping and the orders keep coming and now you’re dead. Don’t want to be late for work. Better get going.

Receiver: Zak; Extractor: Kevin

Follow us at anodetotheend.com or @anodetotheend on Instagram or Twitter.