by Belinda O
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
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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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