reality came home

[alpacinou]

Hello.

Can I use "reality came home" like this in this sentence?

Is this sentence I have written natural?

I was enjoying a hot bath when my boss called me. Reality came crashing home. I had to get back to the office.

 

[tedmc]

Try reality hits home or reality sinks in.

 

[emsr2d2]

I don't really think any of the three suggestions fit the context. The idea of reality crashing/hitting/sinking in suggests that you were somehow in denial about something. It's not reasonable to think that just having a hot bath would somehow make you deny the existence of your job.

I would need more context in order to come up with a suitable phrase. Had you gone home for a bath in your lunch break (unusual!) and the call from your boss reminded you that it was time to go back to work? Had you finished work for the day and were having a relaxing bath when you got an unexpected call from your boss demanding that you go back into work?

 

[alpacinou]

Had you finished work for the day and were having a relaxing bath when you got an unexpected call from your boss demanding that you go back into work?

This one. He wanted to sink in the tub and forget all about his job and unpleasant realities of life. As he was enjoying himself, his boss called him to summon him back to the office.

 

[emsr2d2]

This one. He wanted to sink into the tub and forget all about his job and the unpleasant realities of life. As he was enjoying [STRIKE]himself[/STRIKE] his bath, his boss called him to summon him back to the office.

That's not clear from the original. It sounds as if the reality is that he has to go back to the office. That's not the reality he was trying to forget because, when he got into the bath, he didn't know he had to go back to the office.

 

[Tarheel]

I rather like Reality came crashing home. He wasn't thinking about his job at all, and then all of a sudden he was.

Does he take his phone into the bathtub with him?

 

[emsr2d2]

Does he take his phone into the bathtub with him?

Many of us do.

 

[alpacinou]

I rather like Reality came crashing home. He wasn't thinking about his job at all, and then all of a sudden he was.

Does he take his phone into the bathtub with him?

He heard it ring. Whether the phone was in the bathroom or outside is immaterial.

 

[emsr2d2]

He heard it ring. Whether the phone was in the bathroom or outside is immaterial.

It's not entirely immaterial. Many people wouldn't get out of the bath, get a towel, and tromp wet footprints through the house to reach a landline phone. They'd just let it ring off or let the answerphone get it. A mobile phone is much more likely to be answered if it's in the bathroom with the person having a bath.

 

[Tarheel]

I'd be afraid to get my phone wet. (I did have an accident once. (The less said about that the better. ;-) ))