For a long time, I didn't quite understand why I loved reading and watching movies so much. I love visiting other worlds and experiencing them alongside fascinating and dynamic characters. And while character-driven stories are a massive draw, that's not the only reason.

It's escapism. Pure and simple.

For me, it was a way to go on adventures from the comfort of my home. These days, things are a bit different. I feel like all we're talking about right now is the virus and how it's affecting everyone and everything. There's been a lot of talk about what shows or movies we're all binge watching to keep ourselves entertained. Personally, I've entrenched myself in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. I lost count of how many movies I watched how many times in the past month. (Suffice it to say, it's been a lot.)

There's something soothing about seeing these very real, human characters face superhuman challenges and come out on top. It helps us, as viewers, to remember that whatever we face can be overcome as well.

They face aliens, killer robots, and all ranges of villainy and still win, through nerve, determination, and faith. It's inspiring, if that's not too mushy a word to use.

Escapism is such an important aspect to life. Much like actual physical vacations, (I like a good long trip to a beach somewhere, with a book, of course), allow you a certain kind of rest, so does a movie or book. We receive a break from the monotony or stress of our daily lives.

Of course now we're all under stay-at-home orders and we can't go out to the movies, something I deeply miss. But if you're anything like me, you have more DVDs or Blu-rays than you know what to do with. And then there's all the streaming services: Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, Amazon, etc. There are all kinds of options. So many ways to take a little mini-vacation and to watch other people deal with their problems while you let yours go for a couple hours.

While I've watched my share of action movies recently, the movie I watched that had the most impact was "A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood." (I realize I'm a bit late to that one, but I only just had the chance to see it.) What a story it was. And you could not get more relatable than the main character, Lloyd Vogel. I was in tears in the first five minutes, as Mr. Rogers talked about forgiveness. And so I lost myself in that story, cried a couple more times just for good measure, and the whole experience was entirely cathartic. I highly recommend it for your quarantine viewing. Or re-viewing, if you've seen it already. A reminder like that is helpful in times like these.

We're all doing what we can to keep ourselves entertained, as I said, but escaping everything for a little while is more important. It's good for your mental health, not to be constantly bogged down by what's going on around you. And if anything, it's a couple hours to make you really feel something. Like crying through a movie about Mr. Rogers. Or smiling and laughing through the Marvel movies (and then crying some more when you watch "Endgame" for very obvious reasons). It's falling in love with characters and getting invested in their stories, their heartbreaks, and their triumphs that allows us to ignore what's going on in our own lives for just a little while.

I have a great love for movies (and books, but that would be a story all on its own) and their sheer unifying power. It's magnificent. And movies allow us all to go on that little mini-vacation together as strangers sitting in a dark theater, or a family crammed together on the couch. Movies create memories for us and shine bright spots on times in our lives when things seem dark. They're a kind of lifeline when you start to feel untethered. Movies are the greatest escape, aside from, you know, an actual escape.