“Gonna put the world away for a minute,

Pretend I don’t live in it,

Sunshine gonna wash my blues away…”

ı ı ı

These are words from a Zac Brown Band song titled, “Knee Deep,” offering tips on escaping the “real world” when it rears its ugly head, regarding its sometimes intolerant, accidental, judgmental, cruel, chaotic, and/or impatient attitude. The song suggests using the ocean to wash the blues away. Some may find places other than the ocean to get away from stressful times or happenings that make us question why. It doesn’t really matter, as long as we have escapes.

Many seek escapes from things that “box” us in, searching for that sunshine that Brown promised would wash our blues away. Sometimes, though, things tend to “cloud up,” preventing escape from what periodically brings us down.

Years ago, television advertised a product, Calgon Bath Beads, which showed a woman in a furry robe caught in a chaotic home situation.

As confusion built, she’s frustratedly uttered the product’s tagline, “Calgon, take me away!” Scene two showed her relaxing in a luxurious bath. Not everyone escapes to a bathtub of Calgon. Truthfully, I don’t even know if it’s still on the market. Haven’t seen it advertised for years.

Some people mentally escape with books. That may give them chances to immerse themselves into a character, or the setting of the book. Some escape through hobbies/crafts. Some work out. Some enjoy puzzles, word searches, math puzzles, Sudoku, Jumbles, or the New York Times or The Post-Journal Crossword Puzzles.

Some wash blues away painting, drawing, carving, or building things. Some write or photograph. Some do trivia tests as their escape.

Some, when things cause wonder, turn to walking or jogging, maybe through parks, woods, or cemeteries. Others go camping where you can block city/town noises, where nature’s sweet sounds drown out the hustle and bustle of daily grinds.

Some people escape to music. Many today are seen with earbuds. I’m guessing they’re listening to their favorite genre of music, performer, or maybe just listening to the channel that plays relaxing nature sounds, allowing for mental escapes without going anywhere physically. (Suggestion: escape to Radio Margaritaville.)

Escapes are essential for mental and emotional balance. Life throws us some tough stuff, sometimes knocking us down. It gives us things we may want to, but wonder if we’ll ever be able to forget. Sometimes, the secret isn’t forgetting things that happened to us. Sometimes the secret is just how to deal with them, live with them, and not let them get the best of us. Therefore, we need other avenues to travel, other alternatives to use, to build defenses against things that gnaw at our minds and hearts.

I know many think it’s not good to be alone when things bother us, but sometimes solitude is necessary. When I’m alone, I can think. If no one can see or hear me, I can talk through things that have brought me to needing brief escape, with the person who knows me best, me (By the way, to get away with talking to yourself, have earbuds plugged into your cell phone, making it look like you’re having a phone conversation.) I’m not afraid to admit some of my best conversations have been with myself.

Bottom line, we all need breaks from the craziness, confusion, call it whatever, but periodically, we need a break from any, or all, of it.

So heed the following tweaked lyrics, and meaning, of the Zac Brown song and figuratively:

“Write a note that says, be back in a minute,

Buy a boat and sail off in it,

Don’t think anybody’s gonna miss you anyway.

Take your mind on a permanent vacation

Hope the ocean is your only medication

And wish that your condition ain’t ever gonna go away.”

“Come on in, the water’s nice

Find yourself a little slice

Grab a backpack

Otherwise you’ll never know until you try

When you lose yourself

You find a key to paradise.”

Find the key to your paradise. Take a dip in your own waters and wade out there knee deep. Can’t hurt.