Twilight- Escape from reality

Dear deep thinking LTTers,

I’ve been a bit down lately. There’s the looming reality that it looks like Rob might not actually be interested in being my on the side boyfriend and is shacked up with an 80s hairdo right now. And it doesn’t look like Summit got my letter begging them to cast me in a small role in Eclipse. And no matter how much I wish to be “17 Again,” I keep waking up way too old to become the girlfriend of Taylor Lautner. Yes, there’s all that, but what’s really gotten me down is the reality of the world we live in. There’s war, there’s typhoons, there’s terrorism & hunger. People with jobs & families are kidnapped, murdered and raped, and all the while I sit in my little comfy desk chair (that I actually have the audacity to complain about because there’s this little metal piece that sometimes pokes my butt) in my perfectly heated home with my cute little happy cats and my full belly, with food in the cupboard, clothes in my closest and money in my bank account. And I blog about vampires….. while the world around me is full of a pain and a hurt that I have no way of comprehending.

Yeah – I just went there – On LTT where we usually talk about Buttcrack Santa, Fake lesbians & ponder how many cheeseburgers Big Daddy Lautner can handle in one lunchtime sitting. I’d be lying if I said I’ve never experienced guilt for spending so much time talking and thinking about this blog about vampires while the world around me is crumbling. In the grand scheme of things, Twilight matters so very little. But then it occurred to me- maybe that’s why it’s so meaningful to everyone. Maybe we all love Twilight so much because it’s an escape from reality.  Stephenie Meyers built this world where we can experience first love all over again. We get to watch someone go through self-acceptance, see the bonds of family strengthen and old walls between enemies fall down. And the communities that have sprung up because of the Twilight world (ahem) give people the perfect place to go when they want to forget what’s going on in the outside world for just a little while…

I’m sure you’ve come across people in your life, just as I have, who don’t get it.  They mock your sudden interest in vampires and can’t understand how you’re so interested in a book series that is on the shelves back by the children’s section at Barnes & Noble. They think it’s something as simple as an obsession over a book. Sure- the story is captivating, and the movie happens to star a really handsome guy. And the drama that surrounds the cast & filming is pretty fun since it’s so high-profile now, but all that isn’t the point. The point is that it’s not famine and war and financial difficulties and a job hunt. It’s not real- it’s a world where we can forget what’s really going on. And I’m not sure it really matters what it is- it could have been a book about a pack of wolves falling in love with nursery school kids all over the globe, but it wasn’t- it was Twilight. (And for those that wish it weren’t, it includes a lil’ nursery school love story for you all…)

We’ve heard your stories. We’ve read your e-mails. We’ve gotten to know so many of you. Our hearts have broken and tears have spilled when we’ve read what you were going through when you picked up the first book. Every day we’re completely overwhelmed that a silly idea of writing a blog in December turned into a community where people have found friends that understand their pain and have the ability to make them laugh. We love that we get the chance to make you laugh and help you forget reality for a few paragraphs every day. Moon & I have stories of our own too. We promise to share them someday, but know that Twilight, LTT & LTR and YOU have truly changed our lives.

Twilight doesn’t change the world. Twilight does very little for the world, but Twilight has brought us friendships & a community that allows us laughter in times of sorrow, excitement in times where we might otherwise be scared and a way to escape the daily realities of life, even for just a few moments….

Feeling a lil’ contemplative (you think?),
UnintendedChoice

PS: If you’re wondering if I’ve gotten a visit from a monthly friend, the answer is “She’s coming today.” x

Have you had that moment when you read a news story, watched TV or just remembered that life isn’t our little bubble and felt guilty? How do you balance something that’s been so good & healthy for you (Twilight!) with remembering it’s not all of life? Do you feel like these are discussion questions from freshman year of college?

Keep the discussion going over in The Forum
Yeah.. sorry… Kinda deep today- LAUGH with Moon on LTR

Art Source #1 and Source #2