Escapism - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Greyhame · 08-18-2002, 02:35 PM

You are all well met this somewhat dreary day (for me at least), and as this is my first post in quite awhile, may I say it feels good to be back among the dead.

As a hyperactive disabled child turned hyperactive disabled young adult, escapism has been a dominant theme in my life. I've always felt it to be proof of the Maker's sense of humor that he placed an ADD-riddled soul inside this body of mine [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img], but the one thing that's always been able to placate me is books. If my mother needed me to be still for a few hours so she could rest or tend to housework, she gave me a book. My father instilled a love for story inside me by reading to me every night before bedtime well into my later elementary years. And that enchantment has grown into a passion for reading, a passion which waned during my indifferent teenage years, but now is waxing again thanks to the work of authors like JRRT, C. S. Lewis, Frank Herbert, Garrison Keillor, Mitch Albom, Brennan Manning, and others.

Reading helps me to understand God better (whether the book I'm reading is "Christian" or not), it rejuvenates my sense of wonder, it expands my ever so small mind, and stirs me to action when necessary. Now, that being said, Esacapism is something I both embrace (when it procures the respones listed above), and need to be mindful of (when my daydreaming takes control of my day, leaving important things left undone).

Do I spend a lot of time in Middle-earth, even when I'm not in the books? I sure do. I love using my fertile imagination to allow for the possibility that the events recorded in Tolkien's vast mythology could have actually happened (pre-Flood, perhaps?). Now, I am able to separate myself from that alternate reality, but if I ever dream of meeting an elf or hobbit or wizard in today's world, I have a place in my mind to go.

So, my conclusion is that "escapism" is a good thing if it allows for the depths of the imagination to be sounded, provided that it doesn't become a deterrent to everyday, "real world" functioning. Just like any good thing, it can be corrupted into something unhealthy, and that's where we must use caution.

08-18-2002, 02:35 PM	#11
Greyhame Animated Skeleton Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: illinois Posts: 42	You are all well met this somewhat dreary day (for me at least), and as this is my first post in quite awhile, may I say it feels good to be back among the dead. As a hyperactive disabled child turned hyperactive disabled young adult, escapism has been a dominant theme in my life. I've always felt it to be proof of the Maker's sense of humor that he placed an ADD-riddled soul inside this body of mine [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img], but the one thing that's always been able to placate me is books. If my mother needed me to be still for a few hours so she could rest or tend to housework, she gave me a book. My father instilled a love for story inside me by reading to me every night before bedtime well into my later elementary years. And that enchantment has grown into a passion for reading, a passion which waned during my indifferent teenage years, but now is waxing again thanks to the work of authors like JRRT, C. S. Lewis, Frank Herbert, Garrison Keillor, Mitch Albom, Brennan Manning, and others. Reading helps me to understand God better (whether the book I'm reading is "Christian" or not), it rejuvenates my sense of wonder, it expands my ever so small mind, and stirs me to action when necessary. Now, that being said, Esacapism is something I both embrace (when it procures the respones listed above), and need to be mindful of (when my daydreaming takes control of my day, leaving important things left undone). Do I spend a lot of time in Middle-earth, even when I'm not in the books? I sure do. I love using my fertile imagination to allow for the possibility that the events recorded in Tolkien's vast mythology could have actually happened (pre-Flood, perhaps?). Now, I am able to separate myself from that alternate reality, but if I ever dream of meeting an elf or hobbit or wizard in today's world, I have a place in my mind to go. So, my conclusion is that "escapism" is a good thing if it allows for the depths of the imagination to be sounded, provided that it doesn't become a deterrent to everyday, "real world" functioning. Just like any good thing, it can be corrupted into something unhealthy, and that's where we must use caution. __________________ Poo-tee-weet?