One of the defects that I've been born with is an unnaturally tiny attention span. (No, I’ve been checked for ADD and I do not suffer from it). My mind is horribly fickle. It can jump from one tiny, insignificant thing to another in a remarkably short time period. Small wonder, then, that I cannot devote myself wholeheartedly to any task that requires a considerable amount of attention and mental exertion (a really good book is an exception, of course). This has its own advantages, though.
When distracted from life's endless tasks by the call of some worthless, inconspicuous (but shiny) object, my mind embarks on a journey of its own. It takes life into its own hands and manages to transport me from the closed confines of my skull to places far-off and wonderful. People often deprecate my day-dreaming and call it worthless, but I beg to differ. My mind carves out an imaginary path so tempting and so very intriguing that I forget time, space and the entire world around myself. It throws up ideas and people that I never knew even existed. It opens up new vistas of discovery and adventure. It permits me to explore its deepest chambers, and each chamber leads to an unexplored realm, silently waiting to be discovered. Sorely tempted, I succumb to its lure, savouring every twist and turn, every dead-end and every detour with gusto.
My seemingly useless day-dreams have taken me to places that I’ll probably never be able to visit in real life (some of them have transported me to queer worlds that probably don’t even exist). I’ve met every kind of person imaginable, been in every possible situation. I've experienced joy, sorrow, disappointment, fear, excitement, and every other conceivable emotion.
The sole purpose of this sort of insanity is escapism. I find it amazing that I can allow my mind to take over and transport me to bizarre, surreal places. I can escape from the stress caused by my ever-growing to-do list, the migraines and numerous aches and pains that I endure on a daily basis, my annoying sibling…all of it, albeit only for a while. These journeys, somehow, succeed in lulling my frustrated, overworked and exhausted self into a state of calm, filling me with a sense of peace and tranquility.
I look forward to my daydream sessions with a fervent, almost crazy enthusiasm. I’ve been doing this for as long as I can remember.
It’s what keeps me sane, day after day, year after year.
(This is probably where my mind will travel next.)
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