Movies have been a fascination to me for a long time. I took a class in college about film once and I learned about all about its different aspects. Directing and acting of course, but also about cinematography, screenwriting and editing and how much effect they can each have on a movie. Ever since then, I’ve looked at movies differently. And after reading about the structure of stories, I’ve always looked for certain moments. From the inciting moments, to the mentor, to the Call to Adventure, to the Threshold Guardian. One of the most important parts of film or stories in general is when the main character is trapped in an impossible situation and they have to find a way out. I’m always fascinated about the different ways writers get people out of the “so-called” impossible situation.
Life often gets that way for us. Whether it’s at work, or in traffic or at school there often times moments in the day where we have to escape impossible situations. Sometimes we have our go to methods, other times, we think outside the box and figure out something new, but in the end we escape to live another day. Sometimes it becomes so dramatic that we need to find an escape in another way.
Everyone has an escape. For some people it is meditating. They have to center themselves by being quiet, thinking positive thoughts and ignoring people. Even if it is only 5 minutes, they are not thinking about the expense report they were supposed to hand in 3 weeks ago, or the email they’ve been avoiding in hopes that the other person will just forget about.
Other people like video games. Not that I know anything about those. Seems like there might be an appeal to being in a world that isn’t my daily grind. And figuring out myself how to get out of the impossible situation. And if I don’t, well, thank goodness there is a reset button, where I can come back just as good as new, and learn something from my screw ups. Or continue to screw up in whole new ways. Regardless, the world is so much better than reality world.
Some people have hobbies to escape. They like to paint, or put puzzles together, or make pottery, or blow glass. Some like to ride a motorcycle or fish. Everyone has that thing they would love to do more of that relaxes them, and takes them away to a new world.
Some like finding the next great new TV show to binge watch. Others like to obsess about the way they look in a mirror and how many likes they can get from posting how they look in the mirror. Some love taking naps, sleeping in, and getting zzz’s whenever they can. Maybe it’s because the dreams are so good and they don’t want to leave, or maybe it is from all the time they spend at work that makes them tired.
Then there are the travelers, who cannot stop thinking about their next trip. The Caribbean, Europe, China, Japan, Australia, an African Safari, or even a road trip in an RV across the United States.
Why it is that everyone has a hobby or a passion or a pastime? Why does everyone want to escape so bad? It’s because we are all trapped in this corner of reality and reality is the bitterest. So bitter, in fact, that some people are willing to join a fight club and promise not to talk about it.
Welcome to your impossible corner. Use your brains and your brawn to get out of there, because your reality escape is kind of getting a little impatient and needs you to come rescue it.
ARRRGGGHHHH
Bitter Reality Escape Ben
There’s an old saying, “Gravity is a myth. The earth sucks. That expression “do what you love, the money will follow” is completely true, except they forgot the second part. The whole saying is “do what you love. The money will follow, at a great distance.
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My money follows me, that is for sure. It just never goes in my wallet or bank account. Just stalks me.
And me and gravity have had a long history. He is responsible for a lot of injuries over the years.
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I choose the “box of wine” method of escape. Given enough time and tenacity, it’s pretty foolproof.
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So basically escape in a box. Sounds kind of ironic when you put it that way. Or it is just liquid escape.
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A box labeled “Escape” would probably make me feel a lot less white-trash than I do now. You should tell the box wine people that. Be an introvert and send an email.
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That would actually be a great idea for a boxed wine. And the marketing team would have a pretty easy job too. I get right on drafting that email.
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I guess I never looked at it that way but it’s 100% true! I’m trying to escape my reality. I’m working on it.
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If reality didn’t suck so bad, we wouldn’t have the need for hobbies right?
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I just love people that say ” do what you love and the money will come.” Meanwhile you’ve lost your house and your children are malnourished.
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Yeah, usually the people that say that, have rich parents and no kids.
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I love to escape, regularly. Writing is probably my favourite escape at present, closely followed by walking near cliffs and sea.
My extreme bitterness is if someone else dares to come escape to the same cliff walk. It’s really isolated, not the easiest walk and it’s mine. I can’t bare sharing it.
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My favorite was to escape is when zombies are chasing me and they end up eating my brains and then I can just relax and not have to try to escape anymore.
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re: “it’s mine”. Betty & i have come to regard great swaths of the “high desert” as “ours.” and she, more than i, seems to resent having to “share” it.
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I think this is my favorite post of yours so far. (And I have liked all of them.) There is something really real about reality here.
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That is a lot of really reals there. It’s really real when people are so real with reality don’t cha think?
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For real!
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Really real.
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i clicked the “like” button, even though i didn’t “like” this.
there should be other buttawnz — in your case: MADE ME MORE BITTERER ! buttawn would be appropriate.
hmmm. like when someone writes a depressing post about how their dog committed suicide or i’m still moping and angry that the E T s haven’t come back for me yet, or WOE IS ME I’M NOT BEAUTIFUL NOR MAGNIFICENT, etc. — people click “like” on those! now, again, WERDPRESS! R U listening? (yea, i’m stupid, no i mean silly, uv coarse they R’nt) –> give us, THE PEOPLE more and different buttawnz to press!
MADE ME STOP & CONSIDER
MADE ME WANT TO VOMIT
& perhaps for my blog: MADE ME REALIZE THE YOONIVERSE IZZ WEEE-URRDUR THAN I IMAGINED
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Yeah, that would be kind of great for WordPress to have a bitter button instead of a like button.
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RV escapes, despite their adventure quotient, usually remind me how much better daily life is in my boring present reality. Bring on the Ruby Slippers! (And French press coffee, reliable heat, long showers, a king-sized bed, etc.) Maybe all this will morph into a post of some sort…
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I always glad to inspire bitterness in people and cause them to think about a post. Just make it a bitter one!
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I’m not sure about your reference to meditators. They always tell us to live in the present moment. Isn’t that the thing we’re all trying so bitterly to escape?
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I do just about anything to avoid reality because it makes me so bitter.
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Always hilarious!! I def sit and mediate and then ignore – thats my tactic!! Great Post
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I love ignoring people on purpose. It gives me great joy to do so.
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Re the video games, you can also look up the way to win on the computer…
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Knowing how to beat someone and actually beating someone are two different things. Clearly you don’t have the knowledge and experience and the PHD I have in video games like I do or you would know that.
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You make me feel so ashamed…
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Shame is the first step to bitterness.
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