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Do You Get Easily Obsessed?

Smithy

I'll Lock Up
Messages
5,139
Location
Norway
My fiancée says that my interest in the RAF in WWII is an obsession and I used to disagree but to be honest now she's probably not too far wrong in some ways. I collect everything about it: books; memorabilia; everything. But saying that I do have a number of other hobbies which I love and which take up my time: fly fishing especially but I'll admit it doesn't get as much time devoted to it as the RAF one!
 

Lady Day

I'll Lock Up
Bartender
Messages
9,087
Location
Crummy town, USA
I have an obsession of childrens book illustrators. Well, childrens book in general. I have over 200. Then it grew to first editions, many I have of which have gone up a lot in value.

Right now its Andrew Loomis books. I have four (two are first editions :D ) But those books are an EXPENSIVE hobbie to have, so Ive backed off a bit.
Oh the torrid collecting power of bound paper. :eusa_doh:


LD
 

LizzieMaine

Bartender
Messages
33,760
Location
Where The Tourists Meet The Sea
Oh gee, bibliomania -- that's the most dangerous obsession of all. I heard of a guy who had so many books piled in his house that the floor joists collapsed on him one night. I look over at the piles of 1920s-30s radio and advertising textbooks I've accumulated, and I wonder how strong my own floor joists are...
 

CanadaDoll

Practically Family
Messages
961
Location
Canada
Our "obsessions" as others call 'em, are what animate us, they give us depth and passion, they make life bright. :D
In my opinion everyone's got them, they may just be spread out over a wide variety of things, or concentrated on a few, the more you have the less obsessive you seem to others, because there's so much to learn, and not enough time to get really into them, people notice it less, than if you're really passionate about one particular thing.
Couldn't one reasonably say that the highly regarded PHD is a form of obsession, pick your topic and live it for as long as it takes to write and defend it?[huh]

If you can't avoid it, why not enjoy it?
 

CanadaDoll

Practically Family
Messages
961
Location
Canada
LizzieMaine said:
Oh gee, bibliomania -- that's the most dangerous obsession of all. I heard of a guy who had so many books piled in his house that the floor joists collapsed on him one night. I look over at the piles of 1920s-30s radio and advertising textbooks I've accumulated, and I wonder how strong my own floor joists are...

That would be my dream come true, to have that many books!lol If I could live in a library(and have enough time to read) I'd be on cloud nine.
Although having the floor collapse is something I could live quite comfortably without.:eek:
 

CanadaDoll

Practically Family
Messages
961
Location
Canada
Lady Day said:
I have an obsession of childrens book illustrators. Well, childrens book in general. I have over 200. Then it grew to first editions, many I have of which have gone up a lot in value.

Right now its Andrew Loomis books. I have four (two are first editions :D ) But those books are an EXPENSIVE hobbie to have, so Ive backed off a bit.
Oh the torrid collecting power of bound paper. :eusa_doh:


LD

Children's books are the greatest Lady Day! :eusa_clap I've recently rediscovered how much I love Beatrix Potter, and I'm looking to complete my set, I recently found a boxed set from 1-14, sadly number 13 was missing, but I love seeing that a child once loved it:) , there's a tiny pink crayon smudge and the lid has been torn off but restoring it is half the fun of the purchase for me.
 

Novella

Practically Family
Messages
532
Location
Los Angeles, CA
CanadaDoll said:
Our "obsessions" as others call 'em, are what animate us, they give us depth and passion, they make life bright. :D

Well said!

I have waxing and waning obsessions. Usually under one of the categories of: history, movies, travel.
 

CharlieH.

One Too Many
Messages
1,169
Location
It used to be Detroit....
I was just remembering another obsession that had me when I was younger - the RMS Titanic. For a long period I read everything I could about the great ship, made lots of drawings (most of which are fortunately gone) and the best thing that could possibly happen was getting a scale model of it. All this happened long before the movie came out. I'll spare further details.
 

Mojito

One Too Many
Messages
1,371
Location
Sydney
Oh yes!

When I was not quite four years old, my folks took me to the Australian Museum and introduced me to the concept of dinosaurs. It was the first in what was to be a lifelong series of consuming passions. Some fade out, some lay dormant for years before flaring out again, some have endured since childhood. Discovering Anne Boleyn's story before I was six, decades later I still collect every source connected with her I can, from dodgy historical novels to the latest academic articles.

I've also had what I call 'concurrent obsessions' - I've never lacked the energy and focus to have more than one abiding passion/interest at a time. One might temporarily overwhelm the others, but it's quite possible for me to develop near monomania about a particular author and at the same time be highly focused on an upcoming dive trip. I remember sitting in a meeting once, drawing parades of mantas across my notepad in anticipation of an upcoming holiday that I could not get out of my mind.
 

Spitfire

I'll Lock Up
Messages
5,078
Location
Copenhagen, Denmark.
Smithy said:
My fianc?©e says that my interest in the RAF in WWII is an obsession and I used to disagree but to be honest now she's probably not too far wrong in some ways. I collect everything about it: books; memorabilia; everything. But saying that I do have a number of other hobbies which I love and which take up my time: fly fishing especially but I'll admit it doesn't get as much time devoted to it as the RAF one!

It's the same with A2's and Irvin's. As long as she has more shoes or handbags than you have jackets, it's not a real problem.
And as long as you don't buy 1:1 Spitfires or Hurricanes, it's not an obsession.:D
 

Smithy

I'll Lock Up
Messages
5,139
Location
Norway
Spitfire said:
And as long as you don't buy 1:1 Spitfires or Hurricanes, it's not an obsession.:D

I've casually raised the idea of having one if I win the lottery but I got the vaguest impression that she wasn't wholly behind the idea!

Mind you Jeremy Clarkson did put a Lightning jet fighter on his front lawn. Wife didn't look particularly thrilled though...
 

LadyStardust

Practically Family
Messages
782
Location
Carolina
I try not to. What I mean is, I've definately learned the importance of "Everything in moderation!". When I was young(er) I used to go positively manic for anything that took my interest, and absorbed everything I could, as fast as I could...and no small wonder, more likely than not, a few months later I wanted nothing to do with it. Now, I preserve my interest by cultivating it always, but not "over-dosing", as it were. Instead of taking in everything in all at once, I'll read a few articles here, a few books there, collect a few trinkets, watch a few documentaries..but never, ever all at once. That way, it grows more dear to me, and I know it will not fade. A few of my long lasting "intense interests", as I prefer to call them, are Edwardiana, Regency era, early movies, period/costume television productions(BBC/Masterpiece Theatre), opera, and of course, vintage in general.
 

Amy Jeanne

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,858
Location
Colorado
My biggest obsession is 20s/30s movies. I can find an old movie reference in ANYTHING, even if it's not intended. I'll just make something up!

Whenever I get into something new, I get obsessed with it and want to know all about it. It usually fizzles out, though. The 20s and 30s are the only obsession that has lasted.
 

Miss Sis

One Too Many
Messages
1,888
Location
Hampshire, England Via the Antipodes.
flat-top said:
It may have to do with me needing to have something to look foward to--like a goal. The way a little kid looks foward to Christmas maybe.
Luckily for me, my trips to Vegas are never a let down, so it almost seems logical to BE this anxious!

I know what you mean, flattop.

My boyfriend and I had a wonderful event lined up for New Year just been and we could not stop thinking about it from April when we found out till we got there! It was everything we had hoped for, luckily!

We had to get vintage luggage, all our clothes sorted (he even had three pairs of flannels tailored), learn to dance the foxtrot etc. However, since it was all about the 1930s, it wasn't hard for us to be obsessed as it is our very favourite era!

It is the most extreme we've ever got about an event though we do try to really get into whatever we're doing.
 

Rosie

One Too Many
Messages
1,827
Location
Bed Stuy, Brooklyn, NY
I become obsessed with things in waves. I'll discover something/someone music, artist, poet, clothes, a certain time, etc. new to me and go completely ga-ga over it. I research it, read everything I can on it, buy anything related to it, etc. then, I move onto something new. Not that I don't like my previous "obsessions" any longer but, I'm constantly wanting something new.
 

imoldfashioned

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,979
Location
USA
Heck Yeah!

I have serial obsessions. Could be an event, an era in history, an interest (sewing), a person (celebrity or known to me), music, a writer, etc.

One of my favorite things to do when I'm obsessed with an actor is rent every movie he/she ever did. I've found some films I'd have never had seen and discovered I liked films I never thought I would have liked that way.

It's fun to be excited about things, as long as it doesn't get out of hand, of course.
 

Twitch

My Mail is Forwarded Here
Messages
3,133
Location
City of the Angels
Rosie said it for me. I get interested in a subject or pursuit and think of nothing else for a while but then sort of burn out on it.[huh]
 

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