Breakout

Sometimes stress and problems build up to a point that we can no longer manage. We feel like we are suffocating and that those things that are keeping us from being calm are going to kill us inside eventually. When we reach this point, the one where we do not know what to do or what to say anymore, we look for things that will distract us, things that can allow us to forget the reality of our lives.

In the Soloist, for instance, Nathaniel escapes the reality of his world through music. It appears as if music permits him to forget his medical condition. Playing and listening to music is his outlet. By playing and listening to music, Nathaniel travels from the real world into a world that calms and soothes him. In like manner, whenever I am having problems either because of family, school, or relationships, I like to take a break from the world that is troubling me, and I escape into a world where I am in control.

There are many ways in which escape from my reality. I escape by listening to music, going to the gym, and creating art. First of all, music has many genres for all different people with different tastes. In my case, I like to listen to different genres according to how I am feeling, and what my current mood is. To demonstrate, if one of my problems is making me sad, I choose to listen to sad songs. It alleviates me to know that other people are feeling what I am feeling and that there is someone out there who understands me. My second option, if listening to music is not working anymore, is going to the gym. Whenever I go to the gym, I forget about everything. There is no time for thinking about my problems. Working out helps me get rid of my stress and it relaxes me. The third way that I escape from reality, which is my favorite one out of the three, is art. I am an artist and I have always enjoyed showing my emotions through a drawing, a sketch, or a painting. Art is my outlet and it is my comfort zone. When I do art, I feel like I can express myself in any way without being judged by society.

Escaping from reality allows me to calm myself, to give me hope that things will be resolved. Not only does it pacify me but escaping also helps me get a clearer mind and get fresher thoughts. After I have escaped, I come back to the real world, and I am able to analyze things better. However, there are times when escaping also disarrays with my reality. Instead of coming back with a new mind and solutions, I try to ignore what is troubling me. I try to pretend that everything is perfect and that there is no reason to worry.

Although escaping has its pros and cons, it is needed in our lives because it relieves us temporarily.