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Originally Posted by Alphapheemail
Ok so all points considered...
I see the joy that reading showers the reader with, and the art form, and the significance to one's intelligence, and the plethora of other forms of escapism.
But I still can't shake off this feeling that I can't handle life. That I'm too weak so I need to escape... maybe it's true. And so what! I think I'd rather escape in the tale of a brave 6 y.o. than drugs or the search for Paris' new BFF, both of which will eventually damage my capacity to absorb said tale. So one thing is for sure, if i plunged into drugs/Paris's enthralling life the same way i plunge into books I would certainly not be talking to you guys right now. ( Sorry I am thinking in typing form, and I may have answered my own question, but I'd still like to know what you guys think!)
Then I start thinking of the ancient Greeks and what would be their form of escapism, and I think that was how philosophy and mathematics came about. People trying to find something to do other than thinking about the mundane and boring.
Thoughts?
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So, you can't escape the feeling that you are a human being?? What makes you think anybody is handling life?? The last person I thought had a pretty good handle on life bumped her head in a minor skiing accident not that long ago and died at 45. Nobody handles life. Life handles you, and then ultimately it kills you. That's life. That's reality .... no one gets out alive. Of COURSE we need to escape from that from time to time. The only question is whether your particular form of escape controls and destroys you, or you use it to make more of your life.
I saw a great piece on Chuck Jones tonight. He's one of my personal heroes and I miss the fact that life took him in its tracks. However, one of his important points was noting how much reading (especially Mark Twain) had affected the eventual creation of Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck. And then, I started thinking about how Bugs and Daffy (and my hero, Chuck) had introduced me to classical music ... oooo .... yet another form of escape, good music. Listening to the classics always takes me away from my problems ... and what the hell is wrong with that??
So, you don't have a handle on life. Join the crowd. Neither did Van Gogh, Mozart, Galileo, and a few zillion other incredibly gifted people I can name. I personally gave up worrying about that a loooooooong time ago. It's not worth it for you to get caught up in that heap of dung just because your friend said something borderline stupid.