Reality

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I have a 14-year old son who dreams of playing in the NBA. Last night, my other two boys, who aspire to be pro wrestlers asked me if wrestling was fake. When I was young, I wanted to write a book or sentence that would change the world or the way people thought. Not sure if that is a dream that can ever come true.

Now, the craze on television is reality shows, where real live people do real live things. Is a dream a lie if it doesn't come true?

We tell ourselves all kinds of things to make it through the day. We are fooled by people, leaders, sports stars, and politicians. We want to believe the best about people, but we are dragged through the mud, when our illusions don't meet our true existence.

I have never watched one scene from a reality show. I see the glut of game shows on television and I think of my grandfather watching The Price is Right and loudly rooting against the contestants - when one of them would lose - he would angrily shout - "good for you, you stupid son-of-a-bitch."

I'm not sure why we have an incessant need to be entertained by shows that drive us away from living our real lives. Do we need to see someone else bid for a date with a hot blonde? Does it do anything at all for us to watch others stranded on an island eating bugs?

When I think of what's real, I chase away all of the illusions, and think of my life and how I've constructed it. The reality show that I watch each and every night stars three kids who all are building their own illusions of what the future will hold. The way it looks now, I am going to have a five-foot-five NBA star, and two pro wrestlers who weight less that 60 pounds.

Dreams aren't a lie for kids, but if we're stuck in front of the TV trying to escape our own lives, maybe they are all lies for us as adults.

Comments

Unknown said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
13 November, 2007
Unknown said…
Weren't you supposed to be working at 10:04 AM?
13 November, 2007
Carrie Lynn Fazzolari said…
Laughed hard at the comment from Grandpa. My favorite saying, coined by myself: Between reason and illusion rests a humble pride. You nailed it in this post.
14 November, 2007
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