>>312
You can hit ^C if you like.
I think you're looking at it the wrong way though: command mode is the default, not insert. Hitting escape in insert mode makes sense, because you're escaping back to the default mode.
It's only far away because there's nothing else more appropriate, since all nearby keys insert a character in insert mode.
You could remap a key you don't use with :imap f ^C (that's ctrl-V ctrl-C). Assuming you don't use the f key, that is.