Some food for thought…

Humans have communicated with each other through symbolic representations since developing the intelligence to first construct symbols, and to then communicate the meanings of those symbols to the tribe. Since human intelligence developed, there have been writers of symbols and readers of symbols, and human imagination has no boundaries. What we can imagine, we can symbolize – we can write, and we can read.

With our symbols, we interpret, and sometimes disguise, the consensual reality we inhabit. We can create temporary, alternate consensual realities. Suppose that somewhere in Africa, a reader is sitting under an awning in the scorching mid-day heat, reading a new book. They see the word “snow”. The reader has never seen snow or has any knowledge of it. They continue reading, and the attributes of snow are described. For the reader, the word “snow” becomes the symbol for the set of attributes that humans typically assign to that form of precipitation. Within the context of the new book, the reader inhabits a temporary reality where it is very cold, the landscape is buried and muffled, and one must be careful to be prepared for being outdoors.

“Life is hard.” It is also many times cruel and unfair, and out of one’s control. Sometimes we need to mentally escape the reality consensus we live in and take our minds somewhere else for a while, figuratively speaking. One of the wonderful aspects of writing is that the author can create places outside humans’ consensual reality where readers can suspend that consensus and live, vicariously to be sure, someplace or some-when other. The reader can make the choice of where they’d like to “live” for a time, to seek whatever comfort might be found in such a mental escape. The author can provide the “what if” scenarios in which readers can immerse themselves. Through the author’s characters, the reader can experience creativity, bravery, compassion, persistence – anything. Many times there can be inspiration and hope. And if a story, or character or what-if, is too much or doesn’t provide what the reader seeks, the reader can close the book, although these days it’s more likely to be log off and shut down.

Because, while the author creates the story, ultimately the reader has control.