Now Where Was I?

Sometimes little things become such a part of our lives, we don't even think of them after awhile. Things that become habitual when we're young often follow us through our entire lives. Some of these things are good, some not so good, a few bad, and often of no consequence other than how they shape the person we've become. One little habit that almost everyone has is that of being susceptible to daydreaming. At times this can be an escape mechanism, sometimes just a place to go while our subconscious thinks through complex ideas, and sometimes we do it simply because it's a fairly harmless little bit of fun or to pass time.

Daydreams are where I often seem to find myself during boring meetings, long drives, or even when not having anything to do other than wait for something or somebody. At these times, it always amazes me to find I've been on auto-pilot and fully aware of my surroundings on a functional level, while miles and years away in my conscious thoughts. I think a great many people must spend their entire lives on auto-pilot, whether out of boredom from doing a mindless task or perhaps when listening to something which they have no interest in or perhaps don't fully understand. I say this because so often the reply to 'what are you thinking' elicits a response of, 'nothing'.

It's my firm belief that many great inventions and even great books arise from such musings. Daydreaming is where I've found myself when a sudden inspiration, problem solution, or some other such useful thought has invaded my seemingly empty mind. At times it comes as rather a shock, what some call a 'bolt from out of the blue' in reference to clear sky lightning. At other times it just sneaks into my head in dribs and drabs until it requires just a small amount of conscious deliberation to bring it to fruition as a complete entity. Often the finished product is unattainable for any number of reasons, but there occasionally springs forth a gem worthy of my full attention and follow-up. Sadly, these are generally useful, but unprofitable in a monetary sense.

I generally find myself musing about this during periods of intense daydreaming, which is where I was before I started this silly little post, and to where I will now return, having found my present situation being extremely conducive to this activity. Perhaps my 'gem of an idea' is just a bit farther along in the daydream I interrupted to write this down. Until next we meet, take care.