Originally Posted by
Lucky Bamboo
What I mean is when I enter the school for class, nothing comes in with me (most of the time). I am completely focused on that world. Outside of it, I am always managing my career, family, etc., this I cannot avoid nor would I want to. For example, I am a Middle School Science teacher and I must plan lessons, and grade papers, and acquire supplies, all on my own time. Family time is something that I enjoy when I can....this winter break for example. I do not equate my use of the expression, "escape from daily life," with "leaving personal issues unresolved." I have nothing unresolved as I could not live that way. If my life truly had unresolved issues of any magnitude I couldn't walk into that school. To an extent I must be care free to go there. Yet, life is always a struggle forward but in this day-and-age we don't resolve stress, we live with it. It's always there, we manage it. Ask a nurse...the fear of what kind of day they are walking into is ever-present, as is the fear of losing one's license to an error or some other issue. I have been doing martial arts since 1983, believe it or not. I'm 53. I did Shotokan Karate between the ages of 13 and 21. Began Choi Li Fut and Lama Kung-Fu a year later in college, then bounced around from one school to another, and various gym memberships. Then stopped altogether until the bug bit me again. It IS very much my lifestyle.
I think people do lots of things in this world to escape...alcohol, drugs (some kind of chemical), some are positive. I could call playing an instrument or gardening a momentary escape from the concerns of daily life. I don't see it as a negative, I see it as the ability to focus on something that relaxes one, at least for a while.