July 06, 2008

That's How I Roll

Owning this t-shirt would be perfection. I say this to kids all the time. I do it because it makes me sound "hip", though by saying I'm "hip", I'm automatically not. But if I had this shirt, I could just point, and they'd know. That would be hip.

It appears I'm on a bit of a book kick these days. These kicks of mine come by every now and again, but they don't usually stick around that long. I've been obsessed with various things throughout my life, and to the naked eye they may seem unrelated... and they really are, I guess I would be the common factor... I remember obsessing over "Stars on Ice" for a week or two. I really, really, really wanted to go see them when they came to Halifax. This was back when it was Kurt Browning, Brian somethingorother, the blonde one who does the shampoo commercial now.... is it shampoo? I dunno, I guess the obsession wasn't that strong.

Then there was the Beatles phase that hit around grade 8. I used to call in to the radio station to make a request, but I was embarrassed so I used to make up a name. With any obsession, like addiction, there is some element of shame. I don't think many people outside of my family knew just how consumed by something I would get.

Then there were the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. That was probably the worst event of hyper-focus I've ever experienced. The Olympic obsession has probably had more staying power than the others, I'll still be glued to the TV during the Beijing Olympics... I feel like I owe it to the CBC (this being their last kick at the can). During the '96 Olympics I painstakingly cut out every article the Chronicle Herald had to give, and taped them into scrapbooks. I still have those scrapbooks.

I was a little less insane during Nagano in 1998, but only a little less so. I just did the article thing for the first week, but I saved every photo I could find online onto a bunch of floppy discs. I guess I had no concept of these things being immediately accessible from anywhere for the rest of my life, thanks to teh internets.

I can't really explain what happens when these phases hit. It's like an absolute, unsalvable compulsion. I haaaaaaaaaaaad to watch the Beatles Anthology just. one. more. time. I haaaaaaaaaaaad to watch all the Olympic coverage, I had to know everything. Whatever it was (is) my mind is completely consumed with it for a period of time. Those periods of time seem to be a bit shorter these days, but it still happens.

So as I was saying.... books are nice. If you like free books you should visit Bookmooch.com. It's pretty simple. You put some books on there that you have and are willing to give away. Then when people ask for one, you mail it to them. You get points depending on what you give away, and you ask for books, and people mail them to you. The cost is whatever you pay for shipping, but the books (and signing up) are free.

I'm hoping to shed some of the unwanted books that I've been carting around from place to place and collect some of the classics I'm currently missing. Right now I'm anticipating the arrival of Michael Ondaatje's The English Patient. I'm jonesing for some new livres.

jones - (jōnz) n. Heroin.
An addiction or craving. intr.v. jonesed, jones·ing, jones·es To have an eager or intense desire: "was jonesing for caffeine" [Perhaps from the name Jones.]

Perhaps.

1 comment:

Emily said...

I am actually laughing with tears running down my cheeks. I don't know what struck me as so funny-- picturing you wearing that t-shirt and being oh-so-hip, or the embarassed 8th grade Beatles fan.. I totally did the same thing..
ahh.. still laughing..
I love that you entirely cleared your schedule at ABU so that you could sit 24-7 to watch the Olympics.. ahh..
you just made my night