From Teslacon to Comic-Con, exploring how a time-travel movie and modern fandom prove escapism is more than make-believe.
“ I just can’t imagine myself walking around for 4 days in a costume.”
That’s the text I got from my husband before the event started.
When it was over, he texted:
“I’m going to miss all this fun.”
Between those two texts is an entire story about escapism, the kind we all chase in some form when life feels a little too “real” to handle.
For the record, I wasn’t at the event in costume. I attended Teslacon as an observer, watching hundreds of people disappear into another century, another world, for a weekend.
My daughter and I walked through the halls admiring the artistry, the meticulous detail, the pure joy of people who had clearly poured countless hours into every brass gear or Nordic element. I felt like I was the odd one out in my simple jeans and sweater- the fourth-wall breaker, the penny in the suit.
If you’ve never seen it, in Somewhere in Time, Christopher Reeve’s character time-travels by literally willing himself into another era, erasing every trace of his present life until he’s completely immersed in the year 1912.
But at the pinnacle of his bliss, he finds a modern-day penny in his suit pocket (an accident of his own making) and the illusion shatters. He’s instantly yanked back to his own time, torn away from the world and the woman he loves.
Anguished, he desperately tries to will himself back to her, but he never makes it. He soon dies of heartbreak… only to find her again in the afterlife. Bittersweet, sure, but at least it’s some kind of closure. Hollywood’s favorite loophole: Love conquers all and all that…
Still, I found a parallel there because I believe we all try to stop time in our own ways, lingering in the best parts until the present scoots us onward. And just like Reeve’s character, everyone there was time-traveling with nothing but intention and creativity—choosing, for a little while, to step outside the everyday and into something a little more magical.
While I can’t imagine dressing up for a convention myself, I found myself wondering who I would dress as and why.
It’s all about how you want to feel, isn’t it? Who you want to be for a while, right?
Maybe a badass, maybe a villain. Maybe something funny. I mean, I love making people laugh, but sometimes I just want to feel the exact opposite of what I’m living through.
If I’m Lagertha the Viking Queen, I can defeat my enemies, look good doing it, and not think about hormones, finances, work, or car troubles (fun little glimpse into my week).
If I’m Frigga, I’m a regal, wise sorceress who carries herself with grace and dignity, never getting dragged into family drama or real-world issues.
If I’m Fat Thor, it’s because sometimes comfort and low expectations are all I can muster, given the day.
