I find myself playing with reality quite often, particularly when I feel anxious. I survived my school years using this technique. Rather than being surrounded by a crowd of junior high school students, I was surrounded by tall yellow grass. Rather than feeling the cold beads of anxiety on my body, I would submerse myself in the peaceful currents of a quiet lake. I spent a lot of time in this imagery, mostly because it was my coping strategy, but also because I found it beautiful. As a grown woman, I still climb into these beautiful dreams from time to time. I'm sure it sounds silly- but don't we all need a beautiful escape? John Lennon sang, "You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one..." I'm not the only one... Shakespeare and Lord Tennyson both created amazing imagery of beautiful women surrounded by water. I relate to these dreams... I spend my days engaged with children who playfully turn reality into worlds of imaginations. I might not relate to their youthful dreams, but I relate to their desire to step away from the reality they are given. I love that children and poets so easily can share these dreams, it encourages me to keep dreaming and creating and sharing.
