After two weeks of Fasnacht in Fallout 76, exhaustion set in—but so did reflection. From cryptids and Appalachian folklore to gardening, grief, and learning to give yourself grace, this is a meditation on finding balance between the digital wasteland and the real world.
Even in the Fallout universe, the monsters are easier to deal with than the ones outside your front door. A veteran’s reflection on civility, escapism, and the urge to leave the nursery behind.
Dark humor isn’t cruelty—it’s survival. From the Army to EMS to nursing, it’s the only way I’ve made sense of the senseless. If you’re shocked, that’s fine—my mom and my dog get it, and they’re the only jury that matters.
