Fantasyland

Today, I read an article about how some people are getting terribly depressed by the fact that they can never get to the planet Pandora (from Avatar). Apparently, there's a website where viewers share their laments and hope for encouragement from fellow lamenters. Here is a sampling of them from the Huffington Post:

"I just watched Avatar a few weeks ago and I'm feeling depressed and sad. It's like I want to reach out and be in Pandora. I'd do anything to be in Pandora. I've tried so hard to dream about me being on Pandora but it hasn't worked."

"Ever since I went to see Avatar I have been depressed. Watching the wonderful world of Pandora and all the Na'vi made me want to be one of them. I can't stop thinking about all the things that happened in the film and all of the tears and shivers I got from it. I even contemplate suicide thinking that if I do it I will be rebirthed in a world similar to Pandora and the everything is the same as in Avatar."

Wow. Suicide to be rebirthed in a world similar to Pandora? That's a little extreme. And creepy. I do agree that Pandora looks incredibly beautiful, especially at night when all the plants are illuminated and the small creatures light up, but getting depressed by the fact that Pandora is pure imagination seems a little silly to me.

Granted, there are plenty of places I would love to visit if they existed. Narnia, for example. Have tea with Mr. Tumnus, ride a talking horse, bury my face in a lion's mane and feel no fear. Or Middle Earth where I could plant gardens in The Shire, befriend a talking tree, and write a book with the elves. Sounds pretty lovely to me. But that's what fantasy is. An escape from reality. To give you refreshment, inspiration, and freedom.

But fantasies aren't just about the landscapes; they're about the story. You can't dwell on the fact that you'll never see those lands in person. Learn from the creatures who inhabit those worlds. See what they have to show you about the real world and the real you.

And thank the author for giving you such a beautiful place to visit. :)