Acting

Reading Impulse's comment on my stream of consciousness, I noted that she asked me why I act. I'll try to answer that here.

Why do I act? The quick and easy answer is that I enjoy acting. Well, duh, but what is it about the acting experience that makes me want to pursue it? I haven't taken a very close look at that before. I remember that when I was younger, I was always one of those kids who would play make-believe. After reading a book or watching a movie, I would replay it in my head, or create a mental sequel with myself injected into the story. So it's clear that adopting new roles and identities has always been a passion of mine. But why that? This might link to some thoughts I've had over the last couple of days. I'm afraid that I'll be slipping into a "pity me" mode, but I'll try to avoid that.

While talking with some friends at school about various issueswe do or do not have, I exclaimed, "My life is BORING!" I can see my point. It's not that I spend a majority of my life in a bored state, but looking back, my life story is not a very interesting one. For the most part, it's been good. Just that. Good. I don't wish a bad life upon myself--who does?--but I cannot think of any great conflicts or obstacles, and no story is a good story without such. I have no diseases or mental disorders. I am a white middle-class heterosexual male who goes to a good school, so not much discrimination there. I've suffered no great crippling injuries, not even a bone broken, or had a relative die. No mass ostracism, no family crises. Maybe I act to become a more interesting personality.

Bleah. Let's try to think of something a bit less self-slamming.

Maybe it stems from an enjoyment of variety? A single life could get boring after a while, no matter what events do or do not fill it. Do I act simply to take a break from my normal self? Or perhaps it's a love of fantasy, which I have held for a very long time, and slipping into the skin of others is as close as I can get to fantasy. Hm. That sounds similar to part of what I wrote about my relationship with dreams. Hmmm...

I'll give this more thought, but I need to go. Homework (including the ever-cursed Spanish) must be done.