Precious Illusions

Alright, I might have sugarcoated being nostalgic a little too much with my previous entry. Some memories may not be as healthy for us as we think they are. Just this other night, I had a really good dream. Too good in fact that I had to consciously snooze two alarm rings to go back to sleep and continue dreaming that same dream. (Luckily, it did continue as some don’t once you’ve stepped out of the unconscious) Until now, I can still feel the giddiness and enthusiasm I had during the dream. It was one of those dreams I’d wish I’d never wake up from because it was that good! But of course, I had to go to work an hour later and as my Facebook status reads, waking up was the worst part of it.

It’s always the worst part especially in the dreams and illusions we use to lull ourselves into thinking the futilely optimistic. Illusions which make us believe so good that we think that we’ve escaped the harsh realities of life and have teleported to a world where only happiness exists. Only to find out when we do wake up that all of those are just mere illusions and that things aren’t as rosy as they seem to be.

Aside from these, there’s probably this more dangerous kind which can be found in the genus of illusions. Let’s call them precious illusions as a tribute to the icon that is Alanis Morissette.

Precious illusions are those which are culled from memory and have morphed into an indissoluble defense whenever we encounter seemingly insurmountable challenges in our lives. The metamorphosis from memory to precious illusion occurs when we strengthen the memory’s edifice through exaggerating its happier portions and downplaying its more tragic ones. It then becomes easier for us to hide in this rosy wall of defense since we experience the happiness we felt back then again (sometimes an even intensified one).

Instead of facing the issue, we choose to remain in the comforts of our precious illusions only to come out when we feel safe once again. Of course, one might feel safe eventually but he or she didn’t really resolve the issue which leads to the danger of merely living in these precious illusions, never really facing reality and the possibility of the issue becoming bigger than what it originally was.

We should then guard ourselves from drugging ourselves with precious illusions. It might be good once in a while since illusions do inspire us from time to time. However, getting addicted and should be off limits.

Life has its challenges but it also always brings new things to smile and be happy about. We won’t need to rely on precious illusions if we become appreciative even of the simplest joys in our lives. And when we do so, waking up will always be the best part as we look forward to the new joys we’d experience in the coming day.