Quotes and Other Small Things that Fit into Entertainment

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YeJin On

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We try to write journals analyzing them in English, but they’re not books. We will apply them to a situation in real life as a joke, but they’re not movie scenes. Quotes are, at the same time, more, and less than that. They are phrases, sayings, lessons, stories. They don’t exactly fit into what most people would consider entertainment, even if we quote others all the time. Yet they matter, and if reading books, magazines, journals, can be a passion, why can’t the same be applied to quotes?

Yet they matter, and if reading books, magazines, journals, can be a passion, why can’t the same be applied to quotes?

— Luana Tone

If I were to draw a map of my brain―of my mind, with its raw feelings, emotions, and thoughts―I think I’d have a section just for quotes. Think about it, have you ever quoted a movie scene in a real life situation? Or repeated a famous saying to someone just because it fit the predicament? Quotes are phrases made up of words. They should be normal sentences, yet they grow with depth, are nourished by expectations, and, to top it all off, are coated in a syrup of emotion.

Quotes have power because they have a story behind them that makes them special. You can read one to feel better, to lose hope in humanity, or simply to have fun. That’s entertainment.

There are more things that most people neglect as a source of entertainment. Most small things people will ignore, focusing on areas that are big and well known, even though they can have as much depth doing simple, fun and peaceful activities. In fact, there are probably a few activities you do that are not formally acknowledged as entertainment.

Rain, for instance, can be a form of pleasure. There is nothing like listening to the water droplets hit your window while you sip a hot drink and think about life. For those more daring, there is the opportunity to stand for a moment under the weeping sky and look up at the clouds. You don’t even have to think of anything, you just have to listen. Isn’t the weather something that is always mentioned in books? Isn’t it something we comment on all the time? Why aren’t sunbathing and waiting around for a winter breeze in summer forms of entertainment?

When my sister and I were little, we’d make rain a competition. Whenever it rained and we were in the car, we would each choose a few water drops and narrate their “horse race” on the window. That’s because as the car moves, the raindrops move towards the rear, making it look like they are in a hurry to get to an invisible finish line.

In fact, looking out the car window can be incredibly absorbing. You can tell so much about where you were, or where you are going simply by enjoying the view. Rides can be long, tiring, boring. However, simply look out your window, and you will see so much. That way, you can see the world you live in, the things you like; even a green field of grass has a message. Well, at least I think that’s more entertaining than doing nothing.

In truth though, probably the most underrated form of entertainment is sleep. Anything is possible when you are sleeping, because you can dream. And even if you don’t remember those dreams, waking up with the sensation that you are well-rested or energized feels nice. For people who are more sleep deprived, have you ever felt that quiet pull from your eyes, a moment in which you are so tired that keeping them open seems impossible? Doesn’t that feel so irresistible? It’s so hard to fight sleep, because it feels so good. Then there’s that sleep in which you only notice you were resting when you wake up.

In short, any one of life’s things can be considered trivial if not observed carefully. Despite that, they are truly rewarding activities that should be given more credit. As a child, I found joy in all miniscule diversions, as I am sure everyone else did. My challenge to you is to find that piece of you again, to consider the entertainment that a few streaks of sunlight can provide. For, as Helen Keller once said, “The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt within the heart.”