Daydreamer
All my life, I have been a daydreamer. I would think nothing of going to bed early with the express purpose of making sure I had a half-hour or so to daydream before I fell asleep (which I guess makes me a night daydreamer). I would think nothing of reclining on the grass outside during the day, staring up at the clouds and daydreaming. Or sitting in the doctor's office waiting room having whole conversations in my head related to an imaginary happening. Which I guess makes me sound crazy, but I rather like to think it's because I'm a writer--always have been even when I was a kid.
For me, daydreaming is a way of sorting out how I am feeling about something. It's great fantasy. It's a way of sorting out my stories for writing. I indulge daydreaming and find it's a great stess reliever, and Lord knows I need stress relief.
My daydreams tend to unfold like movies. They go in order, sort of like storyboards, but I skip the boring parts. There's dialogue and setting . . . and usually there is nothing to do with the activities of daily living--no laundry, no dishes (they magically get clean), no bills to pay, no children whining that there's nothing "good" to eat in the house, and most especially no significant other. He's never in them, I would say likely because he doesn't ever contribute to making my life easier as far as bill paying, laundry, and most especially cleaning of any sort, etc. So it would make sense in my daydream that he would vanish, in favor, likely, of someone who helps around the house for those imaginary activities of daily living, which magically get done anyway in daydreams. In fact, I guess my daydreams are really about gay men (all my gay guy pals are GREAT housekeepers) who happen to be straight for the purposes of a daydream. My daydreams occasionally involve winning the lottery, and usually involve living someplace QUIET with horses. My kids are sometimes in my daydreams, and they are always perfectly behaved and happy in them.
My daydreams are vivid enough to lift my mood or depress me. I can cry over a daydream. And I wonder . . . do most people daydream? Only writers? Only crazy people?
So . . . do you daydream?
For me, daydreaming is a way of sorting out how I am feeling about something. It's great fantasy. It's a way of sorting out my stories for writing. I indulge daydreaming and find it's a great stess reliever, and Lord knows I need stress relief.
My daydreams tend to unfold like movies. They go in order, sort of like storyboards, but I skip the boring parts. There's dialogue and setting . . . and usually there is nothing to do with the activities of daily living--no laundry, no dishes (they magically get clean), no bills to pay, no children whining that there's nothing "good" to eat in the house, and most especially no significant other. He's never in them, I would say likely because he doesn't ever contribute to making my life easier as far as bill paying, laundry, and most especially cleaning of any sort, etc. So it would make sense in my daydream that he would vanish, in favor, likely, of someone who helps around the house for those imaginary activities of daily living, which magically get done anyway in daydreams. In fact, I guess my daydreams are really about gay men (all my gay guy pals are GREAT housekeepers) who happen to be straight for the purposes of a daydream. My daydreams occasionally involve winning the lottery, and usually involve living someplace QUIET with horses. My kids are sometimes in my daydreams, and they are always perfectly behaved and happy in them.
My daydreams are vivid enough to lift my mood or depress me. I can cry over a daydream. And I wonder . . . do most people daydream? Only writers? Only crazy people?
So . . . do you daydream?
Labels: daydreams
posted by Erica Orloff at 8:45 AM
8 Comments:
I daydream of being on Oprah and she's talking about my book. I daydream that my books are being made into movies. I daydream I make so much money my husband can quit his job to take care of the house and make the meals--generally wait on me--while I write books. In between travels to other places. lol
These are just once-in-awhile daydreams. When I was a child, I daydreamed whenever I could. I used to dream I was Super Girl and could fly. It makes me smile to think of it.
Hi Edie:
I've had the Oprah daydream too.
:-)
E
I'm a night day-dreamer, too! It used to take me two hours (like clockwork) to fall asleep!
Not sure if this is a little crazy, but I used to daydream whole worlds and epics that went on for months and months. But they weren't always relaxing. I'd always push the starring character (me, of course) to the worst possible black point I could manufacture. I'd cry, even, get stressed out or depressed. (For real, not imaginary me. She was too strong, LOL. She never cried.)
The thing is, once happily ever after swoops in ... there's no story left.
But then I guess I did the daydream thing, too. I plan what I'll do when I win the lottery. When I was little, I regularly dreamed that I'd run a big mansion with TONS of children, like an orphanage or something.
I daydream whole movies I'm starring with actors I love. I daydream another life all together where I'm the heroine who is destined to save people.
My daydreams are my refuge and inspiration all in the same time.
My daydreams usually end with me reaching for a pad of paper to write down another story idea.
Although, I have to say that the one recurrent daydream I have is living on the beach, being a fabulously wealthy writer, and just writing and surfing all day long... *sigh* Nothing to do about that but keep on writing and editing :)
spy:
Holy crap! I do that too!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
michelle:
What a beautiful way to put it.
E
ewoh:
Awesome daydream, my man!
E
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