Remember the stories from your childhood? The books read to you, and then the ones you read yourself? Maybe you remember movies, oral stories, or theater. Most people remember only a fraction of the stories they grew up on, but nonetheless these stories did much to shape us into who we are. This process continues in adulthood.
The way I see it, we become what we expose ourselves to in life. What we surround ourselves with becomes our world. In these times we have an extraordinary amount of choices to make, and a historically unprecedented amount of control over our lives. I choose beauty in my life whenever possible. There must be some sort of balance, yes. Nature is cruel at times, and the world is not well-run by humankind. We must learn from the darkness, only fools ignore it. But, that said, I want my life to be filled with love and beauty as much as possible.
People are tired of syrupy love stories and magical thinking. The thing is, when we dive deep, we find that the foundations of the world have quite a bit of magic lurking in the cracks. Magic is used by the ignorant to explain life. Does this mean there is no such thing? Of course not! Most of us experience some level of magic as we make our way through our days. For instance, it is a basic principle of magic that what you focus on will become your reality. It’s wise to spend time on what you enjoy. In my case, that’s reading beautiful prose and uplifting, meaningful, or humorous fantasy stories.
The line between fantasy and reality can narrow to almost nothing. A peek into the unreal may free the mind, allowing inspiration and revelations. Through the imaginings of others we can learn so much about our own perspectives.
It really doesn’t make sense that we exist at all. Nothing is more crazy than the fact that there is something more than a dark, empty void. How even can a void exist? Why shouldn’t magic be a part of all this fantastic reality? I have lived my life in such a way that I’ve experienced some bizarre things. And that is why I love this image of Dorothy and Alice so much. I’ve framed it and placed it on the bureau in my bedroom. I laugh when I notice it.
The titular character in Aru’s Realm walks this fine line between magic and madness. Those who study cultural anthropology know that often, in indiginous cultures the world over, it was the ones with the funny look in their eyes who were trained as shamans. It’s a fact that mental illness can open doors to worlds most don’t see. And although the seemingly obvious answer is that these people are delusional, life is more complicated than this. Certainly delusion exists, but magic does also. The ability to tell the difference is what makes someone a shaman rather than a madman.
Is there anyone, though, who doesn't have some form of a mental condition? Our entire society is made up of the characters from Winnie the Pooh, as far as I can tell. Like everything in our lives, it’s a matter of degree.
Each of us is capable of seeing the magic in life. Those who, for whatever reason, find their mind less inclined to censor itself, are the ones who tend to dream, explore with their imagination, and to need a creative outlet. Ultimately, “we’re all mad here.” That may not be a bad thing.
