I like to think about the range of excessively over priced material things I would purchase with my fictional winning lotto ticket. On cold and lonely nights I imagine what it would be like to sing to a sold out crowd at Madison Square Garden and more often than I care to admit I imagine what it would be like to date a Victoria Secret model because the truth is I like fantasy and the escapism it provides.

I think that most of us access the potential of our imaginations from an early age, so it’s difficult to pinpoint the exact moment it all began; however my romanticised dating fantasies started to form at quite an early age before the dawn of adolescence when my thoughts were filled with an innocent sense of enchantment. I was  a huge fan of the hugely popular 80’s American TV series Moonlighting, starring some unknown actor called Bruce Willis and the heart stopping Cybil Shepherd.

The incredible Cybil Shepherd who not only possessed beauty and intelligence but the most amazing sense of comic timing! It was during my younger years Cybil Shepherd really set the standard for fantasy based situations formulated within my imagination, however Ms Shepard was the first of many to enter my fantasy crush Hall of Fame, which would later go onto induct Teri Hatcher, early 90’s Mariah Carey, Halle Berry, Stacey Dash, Brooke Shields, mid 80’s Kelly LeBrook, Jennifer Connelly and even Jessica Rabbit! (Yeah I know!)

Walking through the corridors of my fantasies was (and still is) the greatest place to escape and the satisfaction rating I give to my imagination is 5 out of 5 stars because it has never let me down.

Now here is the crazy part…

The unrealistic thoughts and scenarios I enjoy within the wonderful world of fantasy have little or no consequence on the daily reality I live…I’ll be the first to admit it wasn’t always that way…but when I watch Batman smashing through windows and taking out Gotham City’s criminal element, I am right there with him! I too feel that I want to strike fear into the hearts and minds of the unlawful underworld. In reality do I really want to dress up in a cowl and cape and fight crime in cold winter night temperatures?

Of course not.

I appreciate the benefits and limitations that both fantasy and reality can provide, so when I see a Victoria’s Secret Angel saunter down a runway I fully appreciate the body proportions of Jasmine Tookes but does that take away from my genuine appreciation for the proportions of the women I see around me?

Of course not.

The shrill voice of the media has dominated the conversation for far too long, there are people who actually believe their unique personality is not enough to capture the attentions of a potential admirer over the blatant use of sexuality. It saddens me because there are so many people who actually feel that digitally enhanced magazine covers or the overuse of sexualised imagery is somehow a form of reality that I want to continually live in and not just a place I just want to escape to.

I don’t really want to live in a world where everyone is perfectly proportioned, constantly oozing sexuality but on occasion I want to escape to that place. There is nothing wrong  with escapism, fantasy or imagination, in fact it’s one of the few things that is limitless and tax free! We all have the right to access this side of ourselves whether it’s through our imaginations, games consoles, cinema, sexual thoughts, blogs, literature or reality television.

It’s really important to understand that social/mass media is created and consumed by us human folk, so at best it’s just a distorted, exaggerated, amplified version of our collective thoughts and desires. Despite all those happy smiles and exotic locations you see on Instagram I guarantee what is witnessed and experienced in the real world will make far more of an impact on your life experience than anything that your imagination could come up with.

If you want to put this to the test just look at an image or video of someone smiling and see if the effect of that is better than personally witnessing the warm smile of an imperfect stranger.

Until next time.