My Friend Walter Mitty

You all know who Walter Mitty is, don't you?  That wistful fellow from the book, so fancifully played by Danny Kaye in the movie "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty"?  Yeah, that's the guy.

 

Walter Mitty used to imagine himself in all sorts of heroic situations... and the name Walter Mitty survives in popular culture as a euphemism for daydreamer. 

 

Most people have what we call "Walter Mitty" fantasies... those things that we pictures ourselves being or doing in our own little perfect worlds.  For some people their personal fantasy (non-sexual folks, let's stay focused, here)can be heroic... doing daring feats, rescuing helpless people, being intrepid in the face of danger AND getting the girl/guy at the end of the scene.  For some people, Walter Mitty fantasies have to do with being star athletes; being a big-shot attorney; wealthy power brokers; politicians.... all sorts of things.  I know of people who, in their best Walter Mitty scenarios, do what I do.  Imagine that, there are people who wish they had my life.  Ha.  Apparently they don't know my mother-in-law. 

 

Anyway, I don't want to talk about the psychology of the whole Walter Mitty thing, because I don't know enough about why people think the things they do to try to make any analysis.  What I really want to talk about is my own Walter Mitty fantasies.  In mine, I'm never a great soldier... I've already lived that life.  I'm not an international traveler... I've done that, too.   I'm not the guy that gets the hot chicks... done that, and I got to keep her, too! 

 

No. 

 

In my Walter Mitty fantasies, I'm a musician.  In my mind's eye it's all about being on stage playing a screaming guitar.  I'm Angus Young (only better looking), I'm Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, George Clinton, Jack White, Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughn, and every other legendary rock guitarist who has ever rocked a huge venue and whacked the whammy bar unmercifully and made people's ears bleed.

 

That's me. 

 

Of course, that sort of thing could never come true, because I have all of the musical talent of a bale of hay.

 

It's nice to think about, though.  Isn't it?