Post #202882 by ikitnrev on Tue, Dec 13, 2005 10:04 AM

I don't know if escapism is the proper term to use here. Someone who owns season tickets to a baseball team and watches ESPN every spare moment could be escaping from the regular world. Someone who goes fishing, or surfing, whenever they can could be considered escaping. For many people, work and family may represent real forces that resemble a prisoner's ball and chain that they need to escape, and most everyone does have some favored form of activity or entertainment to pursue when they do have some free time.

Escape implies freeing yourself, even if only for a few free moments, from those obligations you have. But there is an added element that is not as well described - what do you do once the shackles are free? Do you just grab whatever is within handy reach, or do you take a more daring and adventurous approach.

I think one common trait that many of us have is the willingness to take the initiative and the effort to search for interesting events. Tiki is not something that is going to generally just fall in your lap with no effort on your part. There will be people who are not aware of tiki, and they may be dragged by friends into some tiki bar, and they might enjoy the tiki drinks served to them, but there is no guarantee that they will be inspired by this event anymore than a trip to the Rainforest Cafe or some other themed restaurant that has antiques hanging from the wall. Many of these people will just return to their regular lives, and not make any effort to change their lifestyles.

But there are others of us, who will be intrigued by that evening in a tiki bar, or who have read an interesting article on tiki. The spark has been lit, and one starts down the path of learning more about tiki. For myself, I consider the world of tiki a reward that I obtained, by having a curious mind, by not being satisfied with the general status quo of provided entertainment, and looking for something more interesting that may exist beyond the horizon.

That world of curiosity does not stop with tiki - most of us continue to expand our awareness of the world, and travel towards other horizons which may bring different rewards. If you live in or near a large urban area, you will have an almost unlimited opportunity to experience new and interesting things. Usually this is a very positive thing, but it can have a down side, especially if you are so transitory with adding new experiences and new kicks that you never do figure out exactly what you like doing the best. For some reason, I recall the Cramps lyric "i'm lookin' and lookin' and lookin' for ..... something i ain't had before" ( it is a way better song than Rupert Holme's 'come with me and escape' Pina Colada song)

At various places, we might find an appropriate oasis that is so attractive, that we may decide to spend years there. A carver could spend a decade in his backyard, and always find wonder with the intricities of the wood patterns and his imagination. Someone could spend hours in the library researching past cultures, and then make a solitary, but very rewarding trip to the South Pacific to study firsthand a sliver of those cultures. One may discover deep friendships with like minded friends, and enjoy the ever-changing dynamics and trust that may build by meeting regularly at various tiki bars and events. Some people may even take a 360 degree circle, and come back to some mainstream activity, and rediscover the pleasures of watching the sky and the changing seasons from a fishing boat, or sitting on the front step watching the neighborhood and world go by.

Some escapes are just a form of activity that simply fill whatever time is not spent on their job. Other escapes are much more valuable, and full of deep meaning, and these are the ones that really sustain and reward us.

Vern