I have always been most comfortable in a book

I have always been most comfortable in a book

imaginary worlds lay out all the rules

I know who everyone is

I know how they think

I know whom I like and don't like

I can exist in the world at my own pace

I have learned more about human behavior by reading books

then I will ever comprehend just interacting in person

a well-written story always reflects reality

the setting might be fiction

there might be monsters

and superpowers

the history is all made up

but if you understand the metaphors

and the symbolism

you'll understand the commentary

and the emotions are genuine

the people on the page are invested

they are just worried about good versus evil

violence

politics

finding meaning in their lives

and I can always figure out how things will end

there is security in that

a sense of peace in the certainty

that I never feel when I put books down

stories have patterns

if you pay attention to how people feel when they are introduced

you have a good idea of where their story is going

that helped me see the patterns in real life

now I know where my story is going

and I suspect it'll be a happy ending

how can I not be comforted by that