Escaping the obvious

I went to a concert with some friends last night, and while we were there, I couldn't help but notice a guy sitting at the bar. At first, I just noticed that he was very attractive, but the more I looked, the more I saw. He looked so lonely and troubled. He sat there, in a contemplative mood, playing with his clear plastic cup of beer, and occasionally took a sip. Several girls hit on him throughout the night, and each one he politely, but firmly, turned down. All around him were girls and people talking loudly, but he barely moved and never even looked at them. Just sat there staring into space.

It made me think about the things people do to escape. Escape from life and reality. Escape from the hardships and troubles. There are lots of different things people do to escape. Mine are schoolwork and music. It's peaceful. It's calming, and it helps me de-stress. I try to find a secluded, cozy corner in a coffee shop, then set up my laptop, and pull out my books. I usually am in the mood for calming music (not TOO calming though ;P) so, I set up my itunes and plug my headphones in. It's incredibly relaxing. I look forward to it pretty much every day.

I don't think that escapes are bad. Sometimes, just relaxing and not thinking about life is the only thing to keep some people sane and going. But many people overdo it. They love the escape so much, that's all they do. But an escape is only temporary, even if that's all you do. At the end of the day, you still have the same problems and the same things to work through and deal with. You can never escape things forever. No matter how hard you try. It catches up with you and demands attention.

Seeking the Lord and His thoughts and input on such things is always so beneficial. Also, just giving those things to Him is the ultimate 'escape'. Instead of running and hiding all the time, we should just give them up. He wants to fix them, and strengthen us in Him. We have to allow that. Easier said than done, I know. But it's possible.