Detoxifying for Reality

I’m taking a hypothetical trip to our camp along the river. It’s a place I find that brings me a sense of tranquility and peace. It’s a place that helps me escape the day-to-day stuff that clutters my mind and ultimately my life. It’s my happy place.

So I decide that I will spend a month at camp. I need an extreme change in my routine life to discharge the negativity that seems to consume so much of life lately. I recognize that it has had a cumulative effect and has piled so high that I believe it may be changing who I am. I like to think that I would never be classified as a negative thinker, but more as someone who has a deeper understanding of the realities of life and a finder of solutions, rather than a chronic complainer that just bitches about everything.

The beauty of camp, there is no Internet, no TV and no radio reception to speak of. It provides the ease to unplug from the world around me; something that I know I am chronically plugged into. It’s always been believed that if you do anything 21 days in a row, habits can be changed and it becomes easier to restart your mind and attitude. So my imaginary adventure begins. No external interference, only the chosen environment that I have created for myself.

The first week is the hardest. The temptation of plugging in, for only a moment, to see and hear what is happening around me is creating conflict with my habit to do so. To distract, I learn to allow my senses to appreciate my surroundings. I walk barefoot in the grass. I breathe in the fresh river breeze. I let the sun or the rain hit my face, and I allow my eyes to behold all the nature and beauty of the environment in front of me. I slowly realize the noise of life is being replaced by the sounds of solitude that surrounds me.

As time passes into weeks, I find I don’t miss the need to be involved in the world that has bombarded my mind with all that is swirling around us. I find that living in my own world is much less complicated and stressful. My desire to be so opinionated and involved in issues of the world is less important, if not important at all. After all, what has the ranting and raving ever accomplished? It now seems to be much more peaceful without all the drama. But the realty will become my life again because I must, at some point, return to the world I have learned to isolate myself from.

I know I must deal with the dilemma I have created. Can I still maintain my isolated world in the real world? Can I still maintain my peacefulness in a world that screams unrest daily? Is it okay to ignore the reality in lieu of maintaining the ideals of an isolated world? Can I really find a comfortable balance between the two? What is the right and responsible position to hold? The conflict quickly returns.

As I leave my hypothetical world of detoxification and peace; I must look upon this adventure of my mind and decide upon the reality of my life. I am strong in my opinion and beliefs. I am one who likes to analyze the facts and draw conclusions and a perspective based on what I learn. I am one to always plan for the future and to pave a path to that plan with all the best of good intentions. I really don’t buy into political correctness and the ease that things that have been part of lives and history have offend so many. I believe that the government and media alike have politically motivated the racial divide. I believe that a majority of us enjoy and respect diversity and only draw lines in the sand when it comes to radical and criminal behavior; no matter the color of their skin. I also believe in our Constitution, our flag and that anyone who does not like or respect either should be removed from our nation. We are one nation under God with strong Christian beliefs and live under one set of laws and moral standing. Anyone wanting something different;go somewhere else, because anything else creates division among us.

So the question is; can there truly be balance between these two worlds? Is it responsible or even sensible to expect it’s okay to ignore the reality in lieu of total peace? It seems to me that there are those that have mastered the hypothetical world of reality and are able to see the real world in a much different light than I have. Have they discovered the secret or have they simply found a comfortable compromise? I know that I could love the much simpler life in my hypothetical world; but I am not so sure I can tune out those things that effect not only my future, but also that of my friends and family. It’s almost to the point of being selfish. Is it? Do my strong beliefs distort my perception of the real world around me? I really feel that my strong opinions and ideals promote unity, not division. My perspective, like everyone,is derived from my life experiences, my successes and failures and the challenges that have molded my current outlook on life. Some understand; many cannot. But that’s okay.

So where is my balance? Although I fantasize of an unplugged life, I find that a few moments of solitude and reflection help keep me somewhat grounded. I have tried to share my thoughts in a manner that promotes some thought in others and perhaps a shining of light that triggers a serious consideration of my perspective or ideas. I believe my contribution in life is for the consideration of others and not so much the self-indulgence of my own hypothetical world. I guess this is the balance that I have found, thus far, and that works best for me!