Obsession

Not just a Calvin Klein fragrance!

Mary F. had a great post on her obsessions, and it made me think about the things I've been obsessed with in my life.

First was Donny Osmond when I was seven. While other kids went for David Cassidy, Bobby Sherman or Michael Jackson, Donny was my man. Even when he wore platform boots, I didn't waver in my devotion. I knew all the words to Puppy Love, played his solo albums incessantly, and even watched the Donny and Marie Show. Purple became my favorite color. But it all had to end when I read in Tiger Beat what being a Morman meant and how much his religion meant to him. I knew even at the tender age of nine, that there was no way that smoking, drinking, and having premarital sex were not going to be part of my life. Plus you couldn't even drink a Coke! (this was pre-caffeine free Coke). How Joseph Smith figured out that caffeine was bad for back in 1820, I have no idea.

Next up for me was both the Little House books and Nancy Drew. I devoured the Little House books, and boycotted the TV series because as far as I was concerned Michael Landon was not Pa. Plus they spent the entire series in Plum Creek, and everyone knew that the Ingalls family ended up in South Dakoka! Remember the Long, Hard Winter? And Nancy Drew, I read all 57 of the original series, plus the originals before they were rewritten.

That lead me to my other obsession in the seventies. Parker Stevenson (sorry Mary!). While other girls drooled over Shaun Cassidy, Parker had me at hello. He seemed so mature and wordly compared to Mr. Da Do Run Run Cassidy.

Then I rediscovered ballet via Barishnykov and the Turning Point. I threw myself into ballet lessons, and attending the ballet. I had a huge crush on one of the principals at ABT, Patrick Bissell. I starved myself trying to become a pin head like Gelsey Kirkland, often eating one meal a day and taking two ballet classes. That ended when I realized there was no way in the world, I was ever going to be as thin as Gelsey Kirkland, and I would be lucky to be hired to dance in the corps of a regional ballet company. And then Patrick Bissell died of a drug overdose in 1987, and my love affair with ballet dimmed.

But then I discovered the Royal family (the Windsors) and Figure Skating. I watched the U.S. Figure Skating championships and the World Championships religiously. I became a huge fan of Kristi Yamaguchi, Brian Boitano, Michelle Kwan, and Elvis Stojko. Not to mention the beautiful duo of Sergei Grinkov and Ekaterina Gordeeva.

I read about the royal family incessantly. I was in London the summer that Charles and Diana got married, and when Harry was born. I got up early to watch Fergie and Andrew get married. Andrew Morton's book was on the top of my must buy list when it came out. I was torn between Charles and Diana. I could see both sides. And then when Diana was killed a few weeks after I came back from London yet again, I got up at 5 a.m. to watch the funeral. Now it's Harry and William that I'm interested in, who they're dating, their lives.

Television shows? Buffy of course. When I was unemployed (thanks to TNT), I got hooked on Charmed (only the Shannon Doherty) years, and now it's Grey's Anatomy and Project Runway. I guess it's the relationships that I'm attracted to on all these shows. When Denny and Pru died, when Buffy came back from the dead, who did she love more, Spike or Angel?

What are you obsessed (besides Clive Owen, Megan!)?

Thanks for reading!

Elizabeth