When I was young, I would hurt sometimes so badly I would panic, then hide in my room, wrapped up tight in protective clothing, deep beneath the covers. I fled the pain I could not bear by burying myself in the stories told in multitudes of books.
Some stories so deeply resonated with me I read them over and over, and I realize now these tales provided a solution to the same loneliness and isolation I was feeling. It was fiction, of course, and I couldn’t follow the same path my erstwhile heroine would, so I lost myself in fantasy.
It was a lonely life, but a safe one.
Today I still like to lose myself in novels, but it isn’t the same. Life has taught me certain realities, and one of them is that rarely do events follow in a logical progression as they do in storytelling. Nor do problems resolve them in a straightforward manner.
Yet if the books don’t provide some sort of conclusion, I’m frustrated. I still want to end with resolution. It doesn’t have to be a happy ending, but it should be a logical one. The story should be told.
I cannot flee my pain, but I can find respite from it in certain escapes, and I look for particular qualities in those methods of safety.
Read any good books lately?
Photo courtesy of Pixabay
My World With Words 
Loved your post. Isn’t it amazing the power of a good book?
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Yes, it is!!!
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Such a poignant and powerful post…as a child, I, too, found solace, connection, and joy in books. Thanks for sharing 🙂
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Thank you for your thoughts…I appreciate the feedback!
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You’re welcome…my pleasure 🙂
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Yes! I just finished ‘The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks’ which was so good, but exasperating. It was one I had wanted to read for a long time, then forgot about and then found for 50 cents at a yard sale. I was so happy to have found it; it was a good read.
After the heaviness of that book, I bought ‘A Dog Named Jimmy’ which is really a picture book but it had me laughing so hard. I still laugh when I ‘read’ it.
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I’ve never heard of either — I’ll have to check it out at the used book store!
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Fiction is a safe place for me but reading books about development, other countries, philosophy, etc. is a good place for me. I have loved words since I first opened up a book or since I can remember. I enjoyed all types; whether fiction or non-fiction. A close friend of mine once told me that I use reading to escape my pain, hardship and challenges. Thought about it and tend to agree with her. But overall reading is my life because whether I am escaping or seeking solutions, reading is how I get there. Enjoyed this post.
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Thank you. I find reading to be an escape, but hopefully all of it informs me, as well. Hope you’re doing well 🙂
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I haven’t read a good book for a while. They’ve been too good to be true and would never work that way in real life just like you say. I need to find a funny book, they may not be true to life but if they can raise a smile then it’s a good book for me. All books, even non fiction are a form of escape though just like you say. Thought provoking post 😊
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Thank you! A funny book is always good. Frankly I haven’t read one in a long time.
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A few books I read as a kid – and in that “room” environment you speak of – still speak to me after all these years. Perhaps acquiring one impression – while enduring a second – leads to a lasting one. As far as books that offer a chuckle…being a fan of the TV show “Everybody Loves Raymond” led me to two “oldies,” Ray Romano’s “Everything And A Kite” and Phil Rosenthal’s (creator, writer, exec producer) “You’re Lucky You’re Funny.” Life can be very, very funny at times and not just in an ironic way…but laugh-out loud funny. (Love the picture selection for the post. Perfect!)
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Thank you for the book recommendations!
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In a few books I connected so deeply with the protagonist that I felt terribly sad when the book came to a finish… Yes, I very much escaped in books. Either that or drawing.
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