Drowning My Sorrows - In Printer's Ink

I've been reading quite a lot, I find. It offers me a release from my cares. I am immersed in other worlds, other times, other sufferings than mine - and for a while, I cease to exist. Not entirely, but it sort of feels that way. My gnawing suffering is kept at bay, and for a while after finishing a book, I can even function with something close to normalcy. It's a residual effect of my escapism I suppose. There it is - I've acknowledged it.

I've always been a voracious reader, but the past few days have seen me go through books at an alarming rate - even for me. And the way I get irritated by the demands of my real life - take a shower, do the dishes, go to work, eat - is not normal.

This cannot last. I need to stop escaping my realities by getting drawn into others. It is definitely easier than looking my problems in the eye and building my life around the new paradigm. Oh... just how much easier!!

But it has to stop. Now. I've set a number of hours per day that I can have to myself - to escape. It can't be all tragedy, I'd really go mad then. But no more neglect. I'll finish all the house-work, correspond with my friends and family (calls, emails, whatever it may be) and then, only then, allow myself this release. I will not stay home anytime just because I'm too depressed to get out of bed.

I will drag myself to work. Once I'm there and I start working, it usually gets better. No more slacking off.

There, that's enough resolution for now. It will tax my will-power to the utmost to accomplish these things, insignificant as they would seem to someone who is not me. But I must - I don't want my loved ones to see the pain I'm in and suffer themselves. Besides, self-pity never got anyone anywhere. Ever.

(Oh. One more thing. Ink pens are so much better when you want to put down your thoughts.)

Twilight.. Really?? Well, yeah..

I gave in to all the hype and read the Twilight series. All 4 of the books. Not what I'd read, normally. But I see why it could be popular, on a superficial, candy-floss level.

One, the girl could be anyone. And a "stunning" vampire comes along and saves her life just as she begins what would normally be a very yawn-inducing stay with her father.

Everyone loves bad boys, this one is better than all the rest because.. wait for it.. he's a good bad boy! Brilliant.

And there's the whole vampire-werewolf rivalry. Two gorgeous supernatural creatures vying for one girl. Love eternal. Blah blah blah.

There's more criticism about this series everywhere than the number of pages in all books mutliplied by n (n can be any number you like, it'll still be true!).

This series is pop fiction at its Pop-est. But I wouldn't include it in my "this-one's-a-keeper" list. Besides, underneath all the vampire and werewolf hoo-haa, it's very, very mushy. Don't we have Mills and Boon for that? Sorry, Twilight fans. One time was almost (but I admit, not quite) one time too many.