A few months ago I was reading the Metro. It was most of the same, someone was stabbed, someone was on strike and the markets were thier usual roller coaster. I normally use the paper to kill time on the way to work, but this time the paper had something a little different in store. An ad caught my eye and since then I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it. I don’t remember if the ad was trying to sell me something or telling me about some upcoming event. In fact I don’t remember the exact wording of it but the ad asked me something that I’ll never forget.

That’s right, the newspaper asked me a question. In fact the paper had a full blown conversation with me that morning:

Metro – What essentials do you need to survive?

Me – Excuse me?

Metro – Yup, your paper is talking to you, and you haven’t answered my question.

Me – Ok, so this is what it feels like to lose it lt

Metro – You’re not losing it. I’m just here to remind you that your priorities may be out of wak.

Me – So then what you’re my conscience? Like that cricket dude?

Metro – Stop over-analyzing it and answer my question. What essentials do you need to survive?

Me – Really this is what we’re doing on my way to work? Ok then, I need my comics and my movies, my music and my…..

Metro – WRONG! Listen to my question dumbass – what essentials do you need to survive? Are your comics really essentials?

Me – Have you just met me?

Metro – So then tell me why you need your comics to stay alive?

Me – Well I need to be entertained, and they provide me with a source of great enjoyment.

Metro – Now you’re justifying, but I’ve got an idea. Picture this; You’ve just woken up and the zombie apocalypse has taken the world in it’s cold dead grip. What essential items do you need to survive?

Me – Ok, I think I get it! Zombie apocalypse survival essentials.

Metro – Getting warmer. Less by force and more by choice.

Me – Things l’d need to live, to survive.

Metro – That’s what I said – what essentials do you need to survive?

Me – Ok so I would still need some form of entertainment. I get bored very easily. What about my laptop or tablet?

Metro – Unless you elaborate, I’m going to have to say you still don’t understand.

Me – Well think about it this way – my laptop will contain a lot of what may be dubbed as unnecessary, but put together in one compact little machine I can eliminate other unnecessary items like CD’s, books, pen/paper, movies and so on.

Metro – Ok I can let that one slide. What else can you not live without?

Me – Beer

Metro – oh god…

Me – No hear me out, this one makes sense. I’m Canadian and much of my culture is steeped with all things that are cold, like curling, skiing and hockey. Beer is the one element that allows us to strap wooden sticks to our feet and hurl ourselves down a snowy mountain! Hell, we have a beer named after our people. How can I not need beer!

Metro – Had it not been for using the world culture, I would have instantly thrown that one out the window. But you have to think about the “survival” aspect of my question. How are you going to get any beer if you’re in an apocalypse situation?

Me – Ok, I think I get you. So lets scrap the beer idea and replace it with gardening equipment. Seeds, a rain barrel and a hose, fertilizer and anything else I would need in order to have the ingredients needed to grow the grains and veggies I need to eat and drink.

Metro – Now you’re on the trolly! You need to start to identify those things that are necessary and those you make yourself belive are necessary. The value is not in having those things that are essential but being able to provide yourself those things that in fact are necessary.

Me – That’s pretty deep for a newspaper. Why did you pick today to start talking to me?

Metro – Someone had to tell you, you were nuts and I drew the short straw. I think your lunch rigged it though, something about being afraid of getting thrown out.

So aside from being close to crazy, the paper actually made me think of the true essentials in life and how we need to take a step back from that which we think are necessary and evaluate those things we take for granted. Dissecting these essentials can give a better perspective on the truly important elements of life and how we can be happier for knowing them.