When, in life, I'm confronted by difficulties, the first thing I do is run to the world of fiction. I scour Netflix for some delightfully long BBC mini-series, or turn to a stack of books (last year, during a particularly hard time, I read the entire Harry Potter series, start to finish).
I think too much. If things worry me, I play them and replay them in my mind, imagining every possible scenario and trying to figure out how to fix it.
Occasionally, all of us find ourselves in situations where we are simply not in control ( are we ever, really, in control?). In these situations, the decision is not up to us, even though we're involved. Why, then, is escapism so bad in a situation like that? Why not just wait it out, curled up with a book or ten, until the decision is made?
Right now, I want to go back to my "old faithful" writer. Whenever I feel down and need to get away, I crave L.M. Montgomery...the author whose work I devoured as a girl--who brought me Anne and Emily--characters whose creativity, wit and charm made them each someone who you just wish you knew in real life--someone who would point out the upsides of your situation, who'd make you laugh and tell you a story to forget all of your hopeless feelings.
What's wrong with a little escapism, anyway?
Am I the only one who does this? If not, what do you do to take a little mental vacation?
2 comments:
Not at all, I'll join the meeting.
Hi, my name is Mel, and I'm an escapist.
I do very much the same thing; I read endlessly, mostly books that create a powerful world that can I can let my mind wander in. I watch sitcoms and movies and anything that will amuse me. Also, I read blogs about other people's lives but almost never comment. Oh, and I seek a lot of physical contact, as getting lost in the simplicity of touching another animal is enough to make my mind shut up.
Mel, I agree with everything you said.
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