It seems like we're always looking for something.
Jobs. Love. The nearest Starbucks. The next Taylor Swift concert. New movie releases. Taxis. Restaurant openings (especially the Din Tai Fung in NYC). The next flight. The missing sock. We don't have to all be chasing the same thing, but we're all chasing something.
However, there is one thing that I believe we all constantly search for, one thing that universally binds us together – the next Friday.
I don't think Mondays are as bad as people make them out to be. It's post-weekend, so you should be well-rested, hypothetically speaking. It's the Tuesdays and Wednesdays that really get you. Those are the days when you find yourself saying, "I just need to get to Friday."
When it hits Friday – specifically Friday at 3:00 PM – it's a shot of dopamine injected straight up your bloodstream. It's exhilarating. It's euphoric. It's escape.
There's a problem, however. Escapism is a contradicting concept precisely because you don't escape.
Listening to music doesn't finish the pounds of homework you have sitting at your desk. Binging TV episodes won't write your paper for you. Traveling literally leaves you right back where you started.
But, even in the moments of your liberation, do you really break free? Subconsciously, you know you still have things to do, places to be, checkboxes to check – that's why you tried to "escape" in the first place. Sometimes, the feeling of ecstasy amid your escape is replaced by a gnawing guilt.
Why is it that we feel this shame? Even when we know our efforts merit a break? Perhaps it's because of the self-perception of our lives – we believe they're one-dimensional.
Since you spend most of your time learning and in school, you must be living the life of a student. Since you teach all day, you must solely be a teacher. Thus, homework is your entire life. Likewise, grading is perpetually on your agenda. Breaking away from these lives and skipping things on our agendas feels wrong and unproductive.
Maybe we should learn that we're more than just a job, more than just "what we do". Maybe it's simply a matter of mindset.
Escapes aren't just "escapes", they can be experiences. They can transform our perception of life and enrich our identities. They can provide us with chaos that extends beyond our daily routines, allowing us to explore different facets of ourselves. Perhaps "escapes" are integral parts of a well-rounded life. While we may have tasks to complete and goals to achieve, we also have a need for joy and relaxation.
It's everybody's first time living, so why feel the need to bar yourself from all that life has to offer? And why feel guilty when you don't?
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