The irony

by Kermit , Raleigh, NC, Friday, May 31, 2013, 18:27 (3990 days ago) @ SonofMacPhisto

Nice read.

I would say that storytelling is a way of having experiences without having them first hand, although the interactivity of video games adds a wrinkle to that. What is the benefit of those experiences? At best they involve us imaginatively and in that way prepare us to understand and respond courageously to our real life story, both as events unfold and as we process what has happened to us.

I had a similar experience as your spouse with Star Trek, the Next Generation. (True confession: I was always more of a Star Wars guy [before Lucas f*cked it up], although I appreciated both--that's a different discussion, though.)

My college roommate watched the Next Generation religiously in syndication, and I did occasionally, but not enough to know all the characters very well. One day I caught the end of the show where Tasha Yar was killed. (I just now looked up her name.) I think I'd missed the first half, but what I remember was her last will and testament on the holodeck.

I lost it, and could not explain why at first--I didn't even know the character. Later I connected the dots. Less than a year before I'd lost my youngest sister. She, like the actress, was young, blonde, and beautiful. I had certainly mourned her, but I had not wept like I did that day, and it was a relief. It's been 20 years, so I'm not telling this here to get sympathy--I don't need it now. I tell it to testify that fantasy helps us with reality.

I wholeheartedly agree with Cody that we need to give our real life adventure the attention it deserves. These silly entertainments we pursue, however, can sometimes show us how.