Make-Believe

Saturday Night, the first day of Autumn. A cool evening where the patio door to the outside can be left open. One where the crisp air serves as a subtle reminder why we don't wish for too cold of weather too soon. I mean, it is easy to say we want cold in the midst of summer, or the 90-degree weather this past week, but here, there is a chill. 

The TV showing Daniel the Tiger, a spin-off from the great Mr. Rodgers Neighborhood. It teaches lessons. This one is about trusting adults to help. I can't remember the words to a song about seeking adults to help, and I just spent ten minutes for the sake of clarification to find them, all futile. Nonetheless, the communication in the show was from adult to child and vice versa, yet, one thing stuck out when the child talked to the adult, "make-believe." 

Daniel presented something he thought of doing through allowing the audience to look into his mind, and see what he was thinking. One of those depictions that shows his mind's world, or "make-believe," as if it was real life. Like him being a doctor, or some other adventure that didn't actually happen, but he thought, what if. Yet, it was in his mind, his interpretation of the environment's information, that allowed for "make-believe" to affect his perception on the real world. 

What imagination really
looks like...

For instance, in one of his thoughts, or, "make-believe" Daniel thought of himself helping others, and then came back to reality with a resolve to do so. So, he took what he put into a potential reality, and put it as motivation for his reality, to see things differently. For the purpose of the episode, allow the doctor to x-ray his twisted ankled. 

"Hey Daniel, um, your insurance doesn't cover this, so you are going to have to pay with your birthday money." My wife and I banter about Daniel's experiences in the real world, or our own, "make-believe." 

"Um, Daniel, if it isn't that serious, I am not taking you to the emergency room, and pick up these damn toys." Another "add-on" my wife and I bantered over the head of our daughter. 

Make-Believe:

noun

1. 1. 

   the action of pretending or imagining, typically that things are better than they really are.

   
   

adjective

1. 1. 

   imitating something real; pretend.

   
   

verb

     1.  pretend; imagine.

As Daniel was using "make-believe," it was a verb, but then applied it, now a noun, to his world. Then, when he acted on his thoughts, which were described as make-believe (adjective) then he was able to transform his perspective, his reactions, and overall improve his situation. Or here, reduce the stress of an X-Ray with the doctor.

However, what happens when "make-believe" doesn't work in our favor, or the spiraling thoughts of negativity actually derail us from being productive? What happens in our own, "make-believe" as adults when we use it to shy away from what we know is best and instead concede to fears and thus avoid being chastised or cast-aside? We call it "anxiety" or, "anxious" thoughts. We refer to our problems as some mental health detriment. However, wouldn't the same thought process that Daniel used to imagine a situation improved and then follow-through to do better in real life, be the same that caused us to avoid going to a party because we might be singled out? 

At some point, childhood "make-believe" turns into negative self-reflection. We turn into the adults that imagine ourselves missing the free throws at the line rather than making them every time. It becomes easier and more passive to accept failure because our own, "make-believe," makes us believe that we in fact aren't capable. We see the failures, we make them real in our head, and then the mind only knows that failed experience 100 times over. 

It seemed like Daniel was able to have positive, "make-believe" thoughts meant to inspire the other children watching. However, I find it helpful for the adults who corrupted this exercise to do the same. 

What's that called? Like a visualize-success-sort-of-thing?  Well, either way, either term, make your belief real, and make yourself believe that anything is possible. 

If I could only remember that "adult's help" song it might help. However, Google didn't help, and I am not buying the episode for $1.99 Amazon. I can see me now, buying the episode to regret it later......dang it. (enters make-believe world where I make a poor choice)

Castle-Broken: When Appearances are everything, available Here. A book about male body image disorders, a creative non-fiction memoir about what a body image disorder does to a man, and how all people, "make-believe" or not can be aware of the detrimental effects. 

God Bless.