I love my life, however, that's not to say I don't have problems, frustrations, and flat out trials--with a capitol T and that rhymes with P and that stands for Portland.
That's right; Portland.
This is where I go in my mind when life get so overwhelming that I just want to chuck all the great things I have in it. I close my eyes and I imagine that I live in a studio apartment in Portland, and it's raining, and my shift at K-mart doesn't start for two hours. I'm hungry--and guess what? I don't have to feed anyone but ME! If I want the last piece of cake from last night, I can eat it all by myself and not have to give a bite to anyone, much less eat it in the bathroom so that no one sees me. Guess who's clothes are in the dryer? MINE! and they are clothes that need to be ironed because in my fantasy world I buy that kind of clothes because I have time to iron them! And guess what my couches look like? Floral patterned. Yep, great big peonies and daisy's and stuff. They are girly, and they are cute and I love them and that's all that matters. Not a single other person made decorating decisions. Just me. My TV uses one remote, I wake up when I want to, and I read all night if I feel like it. My calendar fits in my purse because only my appointments are written on it. I keep chocolate out ON THE COUNTER and save up my money so I can take cool vacations which are cheap, because it's just me! I don't go to amusement parks out of obligation; I don't spend all my money on school clothes while pining after a new pair of jeans for myself. I watch The Scarlet Pimpernell over and over, saying the dialogue with Percy and Margarite. No one makes fun of me for it. I have three bills--gas, power, and car insurance. I drive a VW bug that never breaks down. Food costs me $100 a month and I don't buy chicken because I don't EAT chicken, which means I never have to touch the gross slimey stuff just to make someone else happy. I go barefoot because there is never sand on the floor and I can't tell you how much it costs to enroll a kid in high-school because I don't care about that stuff.
My husband is well aware of my fantasy world. He has one too--but his involves a New York City apartment that overlooks Wall Street and Central Park. He's a billionaire that doesn't worry about homeowners insurance claims or incidental expenses like shoes for the kids instead of new tires. He never eats at home and works 16 hours a day. He owns about eight cars--but pays someone to drive him around in a Bentley.
I mentioned this fantasy world to my friend Julie Wright once; I thought she'd tell me I was unstable (though it's probably not a good idea to tell unstable people that they are unstable--maybe over the phone, but not in person) and she admitted she had a fantasy world she escaped too as well. We're both unstable!
And so I'm curious; are we the only ones--Lee, Julie, and I? Or does everyone have this 'escape' in their mind that serves to allow them to re-appreciate what they do have? In your fantasy world can you leave chocolate out on the counter instead of hiding it in your sock drawer?
23 comments:
I think I need a better fantasy world!
Want to hear something mildly freaky? My dream world is in downtown Portland as well. We lived less than an hour away from there for a few years and visited the city often. Mostly I dream of exploring Powell's Books, oh, and that lovely market with all the stalls full of arts and crafts...and the shop with funky foods from the UK, and that other one with the coolest jewelry I've ever seen, and the Aussie themed shop that sold Tim Tams...
Err...yeah, it's mostly about the shopping, I guess. We were dirt poor when we lived near there and the fact always chafed a bit.
Oh yes. I have a fantasy world in which I am a diva at the Met. And I can eat all I want and never gain weight. And plenty of other stuff like that.
I have to say that my favorite part of your fantasy world is that your TV only has one remote. :)
My fantasy world is a verandah, with white billowy curtains drifting out on the breeze.
Big, comfortable Indonesian lounges to relax on, piles of books and cool drinks easily at hand...
I think the fantasy is more about having the time to relax than being somewhere else!
P.S. Chocolate - REALLY GOOD chocolate - is in all the cushion pockets, and as bookmarks on my verandah as well!
I don't have a fantasy world, but I'll be adopting yours here IMMEDIATELY! What a perfect picture. Every single thing, though I don't think I could work at K-mart. It would have to be Target (Wal-mart might be okay). Oh, and I eat chicken, but only breast. LOVE the chocolate and cake references. How true is that.
Seriously, you have EVERYTHING in your fantasy world. Thanks for sharing.
Now I'm wondering how I've stayed sort of sane without a world of my own!
In my fantasy world, horses are the major means of transport, chefs are manditory, and sleeping in until noon is a social norm. ;)
I think I need one, and frankly, yours sounds FANTASTIC.
yeah, my fantasy world is a bit lame. I just want a week-long escape with nothing to do but write, no one to talk to or interrupt me.
In my fantasy world, I can't leave chocolate out on the counter because of the ants.
Not that I really want the ants, but they are a there. They don't eat much. The real fantasy is that nobody freaks out about them.
My fantasy escape is to a little beach house in Hawaii. I surf all day (something I never learned to do in real life) and at night go out to eat at local restaurants, where I flirt with cute waitresses (something else I never learned to do in real life).
The windows are always open so a cool ocean breeze can blow through rooms decorated with eclectic yet serviceable furnishings. The kitchen is used frequently for entertaining, but never to just cook dinner for one.
The little ants are welcome in small numbers, but mosquitoes, cockroaches, and centipedes are conspicuous by their absence.
I have a rusty old bike I can ride around town, a well-loved convertible to drive around the island, and plenty of spending money so I can afford first-class airfare when it's time to escape to a different fantasy world.
Sometimes in my mind I go to NYC, too, but I never stay very long. I think it's because I didn't get married until I was 32 and the life I have now is the one I used to fantasize about when I was single. I had a lonnnnnng time to get those single kinds of things out of my system, so in that sense, I guess I'm lucky. I'm barely getting used to the idea of a husband and mortgage and multiple kids so it still feels really fresh.
Check with me in ten years, though. I bet my mind will be on vacation a lot by then. :)
I don't have a fantasy place, but yours sounds awesome. I would, however, love the chicken. But I would have someone paid to prepare all the foods for me. They can do all the chopping and stuff. If I didn't feel like cooking, I'd have them cook. If I wanted to cook, then I could.
Ohh... this is fun getting into a fantasy world.
My fantasy world always starts out the same. I step out of my front door and then watch the ground get further and further from my feet because I'm flying. FLYING! Best fantasy ever. And sometimes I have a lasso and I rope criminals in the act because I'm awesome. THAT is my fantasy.
Love your bro Sam.
I have a fantasy world too. I go to it in my mind all too often.
Mine's a cottage in the mountains, full of antiques and books. When I go outside I see nothing but forest.
I wear gypsy clothes, and eat Indian food for dinner and Thai food for dessert.
HOW DID YOU KNOW THAT MY CHOCOLATE STASH IS IN MY SOCK DRAWER?!?
Mine is definitely a studio apartment above a French cafe--in southern France of course. I'd speak French fluently, but most of the time I'd pretend that I didn't understand so that I could ignore most people. I'd wake up every morning and eat a fresh baguette and real hot chocolate. Then I'd find very un-touristy places to write my best-selling novels. My kids come in and out of the picture--but they are old enough to have their own lives. Then on holidays, I'd travel to a small villa in Italy where I'd spend hours walking the countryside, dreaming up fantastic plots, and always be thin no matter how many eclairs I ate.
A one floor home where everything is perfectly organized and easy to reach. In the mountains during the summer; magically transports to the beach during winter. Auto-cleans; cupboards auto-fill.
And it is quiet!
Oh, and my chocolate tastes real (not SF), has no calories, and is filled with enough vitamins and minerals that it supplies all the nutrients I need to thrive.
I have to admit, I LOVED this post! I laughed out loud at the part about hiding in the bathroom. I thought I was the only devious mother out there!
How good it feels to not be alone!
The older I get, the more I notice how unstable EVERYONE is! lol
My fantasy place is also in Oregon, but on the coast. I sit on the damp, cool sand and watch the waves crash into the beach. I have a beach house that I sometimes use as a bed and breakfast. Life is slow, beautiful, peaceful, and sometimes . . . sometimes I invite my kids to visit.
When they do, they make me pancakes with strawberries on top. They do my laundry and rub my feet!
I don't have one. Maybe I'm the wierd one?
Can I please be your next-door-neighbor in your fantasy world? I promise never to steal your chocolate, or have a party without inviting you. But I cannot iron clothes. That would ruin my dream-world. XO
You outed me on my fantasy world! :) It's okay if we're unstable; we're supposed to be a little bit. Instability is encouraged in our line of work.
Wow - I had no idea. I have random thoughts here and there based on circumstances, but have never actually mapped out my perfect fantasy world. I'm surprised to know that I'm in the minority on that! I guess I'll have to get thinking...
I once played Sims for three months straight while living in the basement of my in-laws house. After three months I realized that the world in Sims was my fantasy world...
A maid came and cleaned every day. There was no pet hair or laundry. I spent very little time in the company of other Sims. Instead, I spent my Sim-days gardening and reading and painting and playing the piano and working out... Everything was tidy. I was very thin and had tons of cute clothes.
I kept adding onto my house - a room for everything. I had a huge yard (with a gardener) and a large pool.
Things are much simpler in virtual reality.
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