Amusement parks... I'm going to Disneyland!

Like a lot of people, I grew up going to amusement parks (particularly the one in Kansas City). I've been to both Disney's in the US and a bunch of others. It's one of my regrets that my children haven't been able to experience the same thing. Going to distant places, for the purpose of having fun, is actually a bit weird--why can't we have fun right here? I think we instinctively have a need to travel and explore, as much as our need to eat and sleep. Scratching that itch is vastly fulfilling.

 

The longevity of amusement parks backs this up. They are still around, with more built all the time. I hear the Harry Potter park is very successful, as is the Legoland one (okay, maybe not total parks to themselves, but they sure are big). People want an escape, and they'll travel across the world to find it. It speaks to us deeply, powerfully, and lastingly. We need those escapes.

 

That's why I'm so optimistic about writing. People long to leave their lives for a time, and stories are the best (in my opinion) way to do that. Brew a cup of coffee, put on your sleepers, snuggle under a blanket, and pull out a book. Spend time disappearing into a story.

 

Or, go to Disneyland!

 

- M