I've been caught up in the crud of the world as of late. Reality surrounds me with darkness, pain, loss, anger, hatred, fear, screams, depression, agony...on and on it goes: the mundane, laborious work of keeping a "normal" life but a deception, an attempt to blind me of every important detail and precious soul on this earth; the complexity of relationships and interactions with fellow humans causing stress and overwhelming me so that I cannot focus on simply living.
Then why is it looked down upon to escape? To disappear into fantastical worlds only of imagining? To drown the pain and the noise with dreams of exploring untouched space or making friends with bizarre creatures? Why are children allowed to pretend and we adults are thought odd if we do the same?
Is it because we "have no time"? Or perhaps we think of the idea that a fairytale's function is to entertain and/or teach a lesson to a small child? If that's so, ought we not write some for adults? To show them the wonder and beauty of exploration and discovery of the inner workings of humans' minds and lives once again?
Take for example the classic story: young man meets young woman (or simply hears of her) and then a "bad guy" steals away the young woman (or threatens her), and young man does whatever to rescue young woman and defeat (usually by killing) bad guy, and thus winning young woman's heart. Do we adults turn from this idea because we believe that a "happily-ever-after" is next to impossible to achieve - or even disbelieve in the idea at all?
Or how about the coming-of-age story, where a young man or woman sets out to prove his or herself, conquering hurdles, learning lessons, gaining friends? The adventure tale? And yet so many of the stories for adults today focus on the sexual and the power-seeking, the illogical pointless humor and the soap opera, the horrific nightmare and the battle.
What did we lose? What is missing, that we go about day to day going to work, coming home, and watching a film that does nothing to grow you because it simply amuses, or reading a book that gives you a mental and emotional thrill but never moves you to be better or do better, never teaches you or inspires you?
So what if I'm a little crazy and enjoy the fantastical worlds that even children know and love? In every fairy story there is an element of reality. I am not as far away as you think. I have not lost my mind, I am growing it. Shaping my understanding of the real world, by using the creative gift God has given me, and seeing the worlds others have made with the same gift. Within dreams, dreams come true. From ideas, more are born. You may not understand that the mouse I speak to, talks back and instructs me to fight with honor. You might not get that one moon another galaxy away is a base for the meetings of universal guardians who do not obey the rules of politics. That's okay.
It's how I deal with even crazier reality.
Then why is it looked down upon to escape? To disappear into fantastical worlds only of imagining? To drown the pain and the noise with dreams of exploring untouched space or making friends with bizarre creatures? Why are children allowed to pretend and we adults are thought odd if we do the same?
Is it because we "have no time"? Or perhaps we think of the idea that a fairytale's function is to entertain and/or teach a lesson to a small child? If that's so, ought we not write some for adults? To show them the wonder and beauty of exploration and discovery of the inner workings of humans' minds and lives once again?
Take for example the classic story: young man meets young woman (or simply hears of her) and then a "bad guy" steals away the young woman (or threatens her), and young man does whatever to rescue young woman and defeat (usually by killing) bad guy, and thus winning young woman's heart. Do we adults turn from this idea because we believe that a "happily-ever-after" is next to impossible to achieve - or even disbelieve in the idea at all?
Or how about the coming-of-age story, where a young man or woman sets out to prove his or herself, conquering hurdles, learning lessons, gaining friends? The adventure tale? And yet so many of the stories for adults today focus on the sexual and the power-seeking, the illogical pointless humor and the soap opera, the horrific nightmare and the battle.
What did we lose? What is missing, that we go about day to day going to work, coming home, and watching a film that does nothing to grow you because it simply amuses, or reading a book that gives you a mental and emotional thrill but never moves you to be better or do better, never teaches you or inspires you?
So what if I'm a little crazy and enjoy the fantastical worlds that even children know and love? In every fairy story there is an element of reality. I am not as far away as you think. I have not lost my mind, I am growing it. Shaping my understanding of the real world, by using the creative gift God has given me, and seeing the worlds others have made with the same gift. Within dreams, dreams come true. From ideas, more are born. You may not understand that the mouse I speak to, talks back and instructs me to fight with honor. You might not get that one moon another galaxy away is a base for the meetings of universal guardians who do not obey the rules of politics. That's okay.
It's how I deal with even crazier reality.
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