Patty Mayeux Blog

My deep sleep was interrupted recently by a fire truck beeping, backing up in front of our house. There’s something jarring about a surprise fire department visit, especially in the middle of the night. Turns out, it was a false alarm and neighborhood texts confirmed there was no danger. Still, I wandered around in that half-sleep fog, sniffing and opening doors and windows. Sleep returned, but my mental landscape had been changed, my dreams reflected the reality shift. Good movies will create that shift. I love that feeling when you exit the theater to a wide-open, brand-new world. I’ve often driven home with a new sense of reality, even knowing the fantasy of it all. Good books can do it, too. You love it so much, you hate to turn the last page, only to return to your ordinary world. And yet, you will be a different actor, moving through and around with a new view. I don’t wish midnight alarms on anyone, but may you experience a shift of some sort after watching a good movie or reading a good book. May you notice the change and be thankful for it. Here’s to the creatives who jolt us out of our everyday existence by sharing a piece of their imaginary worlds, if only for a moment.