Obsession

Some obsessions come and some obsessions go. On the righthand side of my blog I have an ongoing list of things that I obsess over - ever rotating, ever changing. I've written about various obsession that I have had in the past. It's not that my obsessions ever change completely (though it's true, some fade with time, or are fleeting). It's just that there are always one or two things that bubble up to the forefront and demand attention RIGHT NOW. Those are the ones that make it on my "current obsession" list.

Growing up I obsessed over Wonder Woman (the TV show). She was Fabulous. She had a magic lasso that was indestructible and forced people to tell the truth. She was super strong, could bounce bullets off of her bracelets, and every now and then would decide that instead of chasing after a villain (such an easy task for her, as she was super fast and could pretty much catch anyone) she would use her magical golden tiara that acted as a boomerang knocking over the evil doer, and gracefully circle back to her out stretched hand.

Plus the invisible jet. Hello. How cool was that?

Wonder Woman rocked. Even the theme song was pure magic to my ears ("fighting for you rights, in her satin tights"). I obsessed over the show and watched it every day after I came home from school. Thank goodness for syndicated reruns. It's how I learned to love television. Ranking up there with Wonder Woman was The Facts of Life (all the gay men love Blair, but my fave was Tootie - I think it was her mushroom haircut and the fact that she wore rollerskates the entire first season of the show because the director thought she was too short), Hart to Hart (but not the show that followed it Quincy M.E. - too boring for me) and Out of This World (not to be confused with Small Wonder - an inferior sitcom that is oft confused with it).

From these television shows, I learned that you shouldn't never date an illiterate college bound star athlete (or help him cheat), that you should never be friends with Jonathan and Jennifer Hart as you will either be dead or ended up the murderer (a philosophy that also applies to Jessica Fletcher and Remington Steele/Laura Holt), and if I had the power to stop time I certain would do more than just get into the minor mischief that would take Evie the rest of the half an hour show to get out of.

On a side note, Jonathan Hart was able to solve a crime by figuring out that the suspect was lying when he referred to the city he used to live in as "Frisco." HA! Just like Encyclopedia Brown!

I believe that certain obsessions are markers in my mind of friends, family, and acquaintances that I know. If you don't obsess over anything, I probably don't have much in common with you. And it is a fact that all my truly close friends have something they obsess over - whether secretly, out in the open, little and small, or large and overwhelming. Perhaps this is why I meet people and think "hmmm. we have nothing in common. you are boring. because you don't have that sort of personality that would obsess over something."

My friend Damon (hi Damon!) is obsessed with many things. One of his long standing obsessions is with the movie The Karate Kid (I and II). He will acknowledge the third one does exist, but with some scorn, and like most of his other friends he tries to ignore the existence of the fourth one (The Next Karate Kid - the launching pad of Hilary Swank's career). It never really works when they try to introduce a new character to take over the existing franchise. It works even less when they "switch genders" - often trying a female role in what used to be a male role. Bombed with the female "Robin" (from Batman and Robin) and it didn't really work with Supergirl either. Though strangely, Damon's wife Rita claims that she loves the Supergirl movie.

I have yet to see it. Though it is on my Netflix, mostly because they are getting the actor who played Supergirl (Helen Slater) has been cast to play Supergirl's Aunt in the new season of Smallville. Smallville has a habit of using actors that are affiliated with the Superman franchise in the show. Annette O'Toole is a regular cast member as Martha Kent, Christopher Reeves and Margot Kidder have appeared on the show already as has Terence Stamp's voice (General Zod!), and the new season will feature Helen Slater as well as Dean Cain playing a villian. I wonder if they'll be casting Terry Hatcher to do a cameo as well? Though she might be a little busy over on Wisteria Lane.

But I digress. I think of Damon pretty much every day that I come home because of the Karate Kid. Why you ask? Because spraypainted on the sidewalk, in the same block as my apartment is a stencil of Ralph Macchio, as the Karate Kid. How can I not think of Damon?

This sort of obsession connection marker is exactly what I am talking about. Whenever I see anything related to David Copperfield I think of my friend Rita (Damon's wife, the same one that love Supergirl). Whenever I see anything related to Star Wars I think of AJ, and anytime I see bubble skirts I think of Karen. Karen loved bubble skirts back in the 80's. Why she doesn't wear them now, I have no idea. She'd look great in them.

Gingham and Brooks Brothers reminds me of Peter. Marc Jacob reminds me of Annie. Bras remind me of Stephanie, and every time I even hear mention about a scavenger hunt Felisa and her obsession with the Amazing Race runs through my head.

The list goes on and on. So next time you hang out with me and we're out and about on the town, watch my facial expression. If I suddenly blank out a little bit, it's not because I have a short attention span. It's because I saw something specific, something that may seem trivial to you, but is a huge deal to me or one of my friends. Something to obsess about.