The pleasure of the pain.
So I was reading a friend's journal (I think she'll know I'm talking about her, but I don't know how to post the user name. I'm a failure with technology yet again. But proudly.), and she was talking about how she could get lost in a book, then let that same theme or strong emotion carry over to her life. Sometimes I do the same thing, and it's always disapointing when I finally pull myself out of the funk that I will enevitably find myself in. When I read certain things, and I want those same things so badly, it can physically hurt. Sometimes even music or images can do this to me. I try not to let it, but it's hard. I want so much to feel like I'm part of something special.
So here's my question: Even though I know it could hurt, I do love to embrace all those beautiful things that I want so much. I want to believe that one day I'll be able to finally take the stories and ideas in my head and bring them to life the way that I want to, or fall in love and have someone look at me like I'm wonderfully special. We all hope for something like this I think, in some form or another.
So, when you know that letting your mind stray to desirous thoughts could leave you longing and feeling a bit hollow, do you avoid these thoughts to save yourself pain, or embrace them, knowing that without these same thoughts, you wouldn't be the same person, or have the potential to experience what you're looking for and grow into a more complete person?
I think I'm leaning toward option 2, but it's always so much easier to hope when you can see the finish line.
(I wonder if I'm making much sense here. I wouldn't be surprised to find that I'm the only one who thinks like this. Sometimes I'll say something and people will look at me in the strangest way....)