Did you just get away with not having to face something again?

March 18, 2020 6:04 PM

Movies are necessary to the world because they distract us from our daily struggles.

For those precious two hours, we get to sit back, forget about the tragedy of the impermanence of everyday life and just be entertained.

What’s not to like? Pass the cheddar corn and let’s watch some buff men in spandex fake punch each other.

But that time is finite. It’s not life, it’s break from it. And the danger is when we take that concept to an extreme level.

When we distract ourselves from more significant needs with frivolous rabbit holes and futile obsessions and fruitless compulsions.

Imagine someone whose personal life is chaotic, unsatisfying and toxic. His relationship is on the rocks and his repressed anger is out of control. But instead of trying to stop the bleeding and do some long overdue work on himself, he decides to invest all of his time and energy trying to micromanage the weekly poker game.

He starts sending out daily emails with suggestions for updating the group bylaws, links to best practice articles about betting, and making recommendations for the highest rated pizza restaurants in the neighborhood to order from during next week’s game.

Thanks for trying to help, his friends would think, but is really the best use of your time? Aren’t there some more pressing issues that deserve your attention?

This is how distraction works. Our ego, out of fear, convinces us that the house needs paint, when in reality, the foundation needs repair. Lots of it.

Truth is, whenever we distract ourselves from the obvious, our problem evolves into a crisis without us knowing until it’s too late.

And then before we realized it, the monster we have spent a lifetime running to avoid starts breathing down our neck.