1) The document discusses how facing uncertainty and problems in life can overwhelm us or restrict our thinking, making it hard to find solutions. 2) It argues that escaping our normal environment and thoughts by retreating into unrelated activities can provide new perspective and allow us to see problems in a new light. 3) The author finds that playing hockey provides an escape where they don't have to worry about responsibilities or who they are, allowing new thoughts and answers to surface.

1. Escape for the AnswerPersonal Response2010Mica PettiboneWolf Creek School Division1/1/2010<br />We are constantly faced with uncertainty in our lives; every day there is opportunity for life to end, there are choices, and decisions, and there are problems. When faced with a problem we find ourselves unable to decide on a course of action, not because we are incompetent, but because we do not know the outcome or we fear it. Problems have a tendency to either overwhelm us or make us fight with what we thought we knew. <br />Uncertainty is a tricky thing to deal with because of its persistence. Often we find ourselves so caught up in what we know, or think we know, and our own reservations that we are unable to see the actual scope of whatever problem we face. At times like this it becomes necessary to escape from what we know, to retreat into something that will keep us from becoming trapped in our own thoughts. By leaving behind our thoughts we are able to clear our minds and find new perspective. Much like the in the poem Setting up the Drums where we see the author describing how music can provide an escape from their problems, only to circle back and show us a new way of seeing them. Throughout the poem there are a few mentions of ‘getting back to the heart’ this relates to the need to leave behind the restricting constraints of our jumbled thoughts and allow our minds to find the right answer without fighting with our suspicions. <br />We see this often, an infamous example would be the idea of traveling after high school. By leaving behind what you know and going to a place foreign to you you can find new perspective easier, away from the easy reminders of constricting thoughts and away from any responsibilities you might owe. People who are ‘soul searching’ are not looking for a tangible thing in a specified location, they are simply trying to re-evaluate themselves in a separate environment it is easier to understand what remains the same about us, what makes up our core as opposed to what our environment dictates. <br />In this way of removing ourselves from a problem or reality itself allows for us to find the answer on our own time, allows for us to have thoughts we may not normally connect but which belong together. Often I find that Life doesn’t make sense to me, and I spend a large deal of my time retreating into other activities, places where I don’t have to face reality. Hockey being a favorite pastime where I can forget about everything else because from the moment I walk in the door all I have to do is play the game. There is no pressure to be socially correct, or to meet deadlines, or to juggle responsibilities. You just step on the ice and do your best, and you will never be asked for more than that. Most importantly you don’t have to worry about who you are, you know that for that small amount of time your just the same as everyone else, you are a hockey player. Having my head so free of thoughts lets me think things I wouldn’t otherwise come across, finding answers that I need. The only problem is that this method doesn’t allow for selection of which problem you want solved and I find that people in general are prone to prioritize in a fashion that defies what might be logical to others. This makes me more apt to be thinking of society and who I am than work that is due tomorrow. This is a logical preference to me, as I believe that knowing myself and where I stand is more important than the next day’s assignment. <br />Distancing yourself from yourself allows for new perspective to be achieved and with the perspective you can find certainty, both in you and in the world around you. Life is constantly teaching you about yourself with the various uncertainties you are faced with daily. It’s a question of whether or not you are able to put your thoughts aside in order to see another side of the argument or if you merely push away what makes you uncomfortable and what makes you question yourself in the hope that it will go away. <br />