Upon reading I Once Was Miss America I immediately found myself relating to Roxanne Gay. I found that the piece was written to show how she felt like an outsider while growing up, and that she found herself an outlet: the Sweet Valley High series. Throughout the work, Gay describes herself as being an outcast, and that the only thing that she loved and looked forward to was getting lost inthe Sweet Valley High world. I think that no matter what period of your life you are in, you are always going to feel like a bit of an outcast. Whether its being mocked and ridiculed in your high school, or going to a new university where you know abosolutely nobody- everyone always needs their own form of an escape from reality. For Roxanne Gay, her escape was the Sweet Valley High book series. For me, it is working out at the gym. My personal escape is getting lost in the music playing out of my headphones, and getting into my own zone. My escape from reality is something that took me a while to discover, and at first I hated it. But as I learned to love it, it became a daily part of my routine, and the main way that I am able to have "me time." My time is where I can focus on bettering myself, and releasing all of my stress. I think that this article showed Roxanne's own reality escape, and I think it is not only healthy, but a necessary thing for everyone to have something that they enjoy!
