Reality Rewrite

Being a fairly frequent viewer of a variety of reality shows and living a piece of reality myself for a number of years, I have concluded that reality is terribly disappointing and reality shows are embarrassing. I just watched a portion of a reality show called Workout that revolves around a lesbian gym owner named Jackie and her simple minded employees. It is a shameful display of the most shallow petty people I've ever witnessed. These players know that they are being filmed. They are talking into the camera and yet they don't even attempt to portray themselves admirably. They don't have enough sense to see how demeaning their character looks in the bright lights and I feel compelled to feel embarrassed for them but it is exhausting. It probably is realistic, however sad that admission makes me feel.

I think that's what keeps literature alive-- the fact that reality isn't all that fulfilling and people aren't what you wish they were. Because of this, you write them to be acceptable, honorable, exciting or satisfying. You can create an inviting fantasy to give yourself comfort. Reality is fairly uneventful for most of us but even when something monumental does happen, we usually wish later that we would have said or done something differently. Writing it instead of living it lets you use that hindsight to your best advantage.