"Muchness"

The Mad Hatter: You're not the same as you were before. You were much more..."muchier". You've lost your "muchness".

Alice Kingsley: My "muchness"?

The Mad Hatter: [Points to Alice's heart] In there.

-From Tim Burton's "Alice in Wonderland" (continuing the story of Lewis Carroll's character Alice from "Alice in Wonderland")

I love this movie so much. It relates to what I've been thinking about.

I was thinking about how many complaints I've had and wondering (just for a moment) if reading fantasy and watching magical stories come to life had anything to do with it, and if real life was ruined for me (ha, 'real life') because of that.

My immediate thought was that of course that wasn't true - the 'real life' I am frustrated with is one of mundane details - work (as in a strict schedule, not as in my actual job, which I like), taxes, groceries, cleaning, sleeping, etc.

The 'real life' I wish I had is simply one of travel, or quiet times spent with nature, or growing a garden or producing works of art in the form of books, paintings, drawings, knitting, sewing, or photography or dance or...

I mean, of course it would be amazing to be able to fly or be an active superhero or ride a dragon or Pegasus or be a pirate (romanticized, of course), etc. But all of those come with their own mundane details and honestly, I think we might play-act some in heaven (little children put on plays for their parents, right?), so I keep looking forward to that.

I guess what I want to say is wound up in gold and crimson and daring and tantalizing words like adventure and truth and beauty and space and sea and pirates, dragons, princesses and the like.

Reading about adventures IS taking part in them, and after I've read a good book, I have gone on a journey.

So fantasy hasn't ruined my 'real life'. I am simply tired of schedule and poor and bored. For now.

Which is one of the reasons I am writing books.

Here's to regaining 'muchness'.