In The Land of Make Believe

Dad used to say that quite often. Usually it was when we were watching some TV show.

He wasn't much of a fiction fan. So he was quite fascinated that so much energy and effort was expended by others on making up stories and then more energy by those who watched. I sometimes get involved with my books and my TV shows and kind of move a little with the action in fight scenes - if you can imagine me doing that. Dad thought that was just hysterically funny although he wasn't exactly the guffawing type himself.

I was reminded of this the other day when I was visiting with my brother and my son. My brother's computer had crashed and all my efforts to revive it had proved futile. So we were at Starbucks for what I suppose was a kind of computer wake. We were enjoying our respective drinks: Raspberry Mocha for my son, Cafe Mocha for my brother, and black coffee for me (with a shot of course).

I think my brother mentioned a book he began reading and the author's political commentary right at the beginning angered him so he stopped right there. It was some book about the revolutionary war or civil war or some such. My brother loves history.

We used to joke about his love of history manifested in his need to stop by any cemetery on the way to where he was going. He especially loves Civil War and Revolutionary War cemeteries but nearly any cemetery will work. Now, I, too, have an appreciation of cemeteries and have been known to stroll through one on occasion. That's just an aside - some color I guess.

Back to my story. I probably countered with the telling about some work of fiction I was reading but I've forgotten exactly. Anyway he mentioned that he didn't really enjoy reading fiction. My son said he didn't like fiction much either. That made me repeat Dad's often said statement. Then I was more surprised that my brother did not recall Dad saying that.

Dad said it a lot. I can hear him saying it and in my mind's eye I can see him saying it: "In the land of make believe" with a kind of puzzled, bemused expression on his face.

So I wanted to blog about it in case I forget it. Because I thought it was kind of cute then and it seems even cuter now.