Consuming and Creating: Part 7: Song and Dance

Sometimes when things are stressful or life is hard I like to go into denial and read a book. I've heard of other people doing similar things. The Mormon Pioneers are often said to have walked all day and then spent the evening in song and dance. I always thought that was a little odd but I could understand it in terms of a type of denial. Not long ago I had a stressful as well as exhausting day of work but instead of just reading a book, or laying around doing nothing I convinced some friends and we went to a free outside performance of singing and dancing. We might have done a little of the singing but we didn't do any of the dancing. We also did quite a bit of laughing. I enjoyed it and I think it was the best thing we could have done. Instead of sitting around complaining at each other we got out and laughed and thought of lighter things. It's not the state of denial I feel like books usually give me (because as soon as you stop reading it all comes rushing back), it was a genuine stress outlet. The stress was mostly gone. I think I have come to understand those early pioneers just a little better, and it works.
Caveat:
I would just like to state that on several other occasions in similar situations I just needed time to recoup in an alone time atmosphere. There is certainly a need for that too but I have also seen the advantage of lighthearted social situations. But again that alone time was typically walking around admiring the beauty of the earth.

So my hesitant conclusion is that pure consuming forms of entertainment may work as a form of denial but true stress relief may come more easily and thoroughly with creative entertainment.

Drat. Now that I've written all that and come up with my hesitant conclusion I am responsible for doing it... and not just picking up a book whenever I'm depressed. I hate when I learn too much as I write these posts.