by Jeanetta Darley

One of my favorite literature assignments from my school days was James Thurber’s short story “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty”.  He uses daydreaming and his imagination to escape the mundane of everyday life.  His peers from the story perceive his “head in the clouds” nature as an element of frustration but the recent movie versions give his imagination a redeeming quality.

Many have seen the movie versions but I don’t know how many have read the original story.  You can read it online here from The New Yorker.

Growing up (and admittedly still today) I identify with the compulsive daydreaming.  Long drives in the car watching the tree-lined highway had me creating adventures by boat through the flooded creeks and drainage ditches that passed me by. 

Or I would imagine myself a character of my favorite books and TV shows.  You know that all important character that the writer just forgot to include.

“I was thinking,” said Walter Mitty “Does I ever occur to you that I am sometimes thinking?”

I always hated how Walter (we’re on a first name basis) was looked down on for his fantasizing.  Daydreaming and imagining are great tools for problem solving and inspiration.  It’s an activity that can rescue me from issues I’m worrying too much about or create an environment for great ideas to flourish.  Sort of  like a reset button for your brain when you’re stuck.

I love how the movie versions have taken Walter out of his hapless, distracted role.  They show that by following his daydreams, Walter becomes the real life hero.  And that’s where our imagination and daydreams can take us too.

Where have yours taken you?