Writing Can Be An Escape

No one said life is easy.  Everyone experiences troubles from time to time, and nobody gets out alive.  From problems with money and relationships to illness and tragic losses, life can be cruel.  While this website tries to emphasize a positive outlook, there are times when we can get overwhelmed with what has come our way.  For most of my life I have found that writing can be an escape.  It’s a way to define your troubles and master them.  Putting things down on paper makes every problem a bit more manageable to me and, as I’ve read the biographies of the master writers, I’ve learned that many of them held the same belief.  For many of them writing was just a vocation or an enjoyable pastime but a means of survival.  If they couldn’t write they couldn’t go on living.  When Ernest Hemingway felt he had lost his gift he couldn’t face life anymore and committed suicide on his ranch in Idaho.  While that may seem extreme, I do understand what it’s like to feel that something that gave you great pleasure and satisfaction cannot be experienced again.  When you reach this stage in life some part of that is true for almost everyone.  Writing can be an escape from that and turn sadness into appreciation.

If you’ve spent any time reviewing the pages on this website, you know that I almost always try to put a positive spin on this wonderful existence we call retirement.  It can be the most wonderful part of your life if you know a few ways to dispel your worries or anxieties and one of those ways is writing.  If you’ve never tried it, I encourage you to at least make an effort to explore the ways this wonderful hobby can transform you and challenge you to organize your thoughts and, in the process, control your emotions in a way that you didn’t think possible.  Writing can be an escape from your troubles, but it can also be a method to master your emotions in a way that can strengthen your resolve to handle anything that life sends your way.

Writing can be an escape and a wonderful way to cope with life's pressures.

I learned very early on that writing was a way to control my anger.  I couldn’t understand why people acted the way they did toward me or other people.  There was a meanness in the world that made me very uncomfortable, but I was too scared to say anything and much to meek to express my anger.  I sat in silence and was sometimes very ashamed when I didn’t stop someone from bullying another person or reporting a wrongdoing that in reality made me something of an accomplice.  I wasn’t an angel by any means, and I also did my share of things that I am not happy about.  But I didn’t say anything and that was wrong.  I found that I could express myself much more easily by writing it down on paper.  It made me understand what made me angry and led me to a point where I could say something.  For me, writing was a way to change my behavior gradually to become more assertive and stand up for what I thought was right.  It was also a tremendous relief to write what I was thinking.  There were a few times when I went to upper management to report a serious problem with a speech in hand that I read to them and then discussed.  I told them that I wanted to make sure I covered everything completely.  I didn’t do it too many times, but I always got results when I did it.  I have advised many people to do the same thing if they have a serious problem in a relationship.  Yes, writing can be an escape, but it can also be a path toward conflict resolution.  As a student of history, I learned that Mr. Lincoln used writing in the same way.  He would crystallize his thinking and store it away for some future date.  A folder of his unpublished writings was found and it contained what is my favorite Lincoln quote: “as I would not be a slave, so I would not be a master. This expresses my idea of democracy. Whatever differs from this, to the extent of the difference, is no democracy.” Quotes like this not only deepened my admiration for this great man but it also got me to appreciate his writing and the writing of others.  Lincoln’s logic, choice of words and his ability to communicate concisely put me on a path to writing with purpose.

Writing can be a way to be remembered as well.  I’ve previously recommended a journal as a way to record events and memories, but it can also help keep your thoughts in order.  While many people start a journal because writing can be an escape, it can also become a way to express yourself and gain clarity about the events in your life.  It can even help you deal with the crazy world we live in today.  Don’t think for a moment that some of the people you read about haven’t gotten a letter from me.  Once in a while, I even get a response but that isn’t why I sent the letter.  I felt much better after writing it because it released the anger and presented my alternate view in a respectful and logical way.  I hope I did just a little bit to make Mr. Lincoln proud.  Go ahead and give writing a try.  It might make a huge difference in your outlook.  It’s time to Enjoy Retired Life!

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