Ever seen a movie called The Secret Life of Walter Mitty?
The main plot was about a man who was living an uneventful, very ordinary life every day, so he created exciting stories and played them out in his head via frequent daydreaming.
Daydreaming, playing out alternate scenarios in my head, and toying with the idea of the ‘what ifs’ in the events in my life.
I could relate so much to that show.
Except for the humor that was a tad bit over the top, the extreme daydreaming, and the tapping out of reality in chunks throughout his day to the extent that it disrupted his real life.
But I do daydream, quite a fair bit, and in micro-moments of the day.
Some close to me may notice the momentary glaze across my eyes in mid-conversations, yes, I’ve zoned out for a few seconds, especially on days that I’m tired. But I’ve sort of mastered the art of catching the important bits of the talk and can respond adequately.
Other times I was just distracted as the conversation may drag on too long but I’d try to give the person the attention he/she needs from me.
Of course, this doesn’t happen all the time, but I do it more often than the average person my age.
I blame an overactive imagination as a kid, and exposure to too many movies and books.
I’ve developed daydreaming as a form of escapism.
Escapism from real life at times.
It may not be all that healthy if done too often, so as I grew older I’ve also had to control how much I allow myself to do so, especially now as a functioning adult with kids depending on me for their life. Literally.
Daydreaming for me became less and less, as moments that required mental attention increased.
So it seems a luxury for those times that I get to daydream and allow my imagination to go wild.
Most of the time it will remain in those micro-moments during the day, and sometimes even at night before I drift off to sleep.
Remnants of a childhood era and the young girl in me although I am a grown woman now.