Penmanship and Me: The REAL Story

Despite my disability, I did pretty much the same assignments all of the other students did: tests, quizzes, homework, projects, etc.  From fifth grade onward, though, there was one major difference in how I did it versus how the rest of my class did: Whereas they wrote everything unless specified, I typed everything.  Yes, I was given a device by the school system, because handwriting has never really been my strong suit.  I used to say, "I can't write!", but I've realized recently that's incorrect.  A more accurate statement is: In some cases, it's a better idea if I refrain from writing.  Of course, as usual, I'll delve into my history to discuss how the situation came to be what it is today.
In kindergarten, my handwriting was as bad as everyone else's; no joke.  Even though I could read like nobody's business from day one, I still had the typical backwards N's and general illegibility that most early-graders' writing had.  The problem became noticeable when my classmates' handwriting improved in ways that mine didn't.  I even noticed it; in first grade, I probably mortified my teacher by telling her that I couldn't do an assignment because I couldn't write...right in front of a tech person from the school system's administration.  I didn't mean to embarrass her; I just realized that my penmanship paled in comparison to the other kids', which meant that I had a problem, and therefore should refrain from writing.  It didn't get me out of anything, though, and I continued to do the same as the other kids for the next few years.
Though my poor handwriting caused problems in pretty much every grade, second grade was the absolute worst.  That year was bad for other reasons as well, such as my quack psychiatrist trying me on the absolute worst medication ever, but the handwriting was the main issue.  Why was it? At the start of that year, I was tried on a medication--not that aforementioned worst one ever--that, for some unknown reason, made my penmanship better than usual.  However, it also caused an adverse reaction--I think either stomachaches or headaches--and I was quickly taken off of it, which made my handwriting go back to where it had been before.  You'd think a second grade teacher would be understanding about such a situation, right? Well, mine was the exact opposite.  For some reason, this lady put zero stock in medication and medical professionals, and refused to believe the true cause; instead, she felt that I just wasn't trying, which made me really upset.  Shockingly enough, she got "Teacher of the Year" the next year, and went on to become a principal; I've always wondered how she managed to do that.
I started at a new elementary school in third grade, and, as soon as I did, there was talk of giving me a device to type my work on.  I didn't actually get one until fifth grade, but I'm glad I wasn't given one when they first began talking about it.  I say that because of something that almost happened later on: On the first day of eighth grade English class, the teacher went over elements of good handwriting, and, at first, I didn't take any note of it; a classmate said to me, "Aren't you going to write this down?" I ended up deciding that, even though such information was largely useless to me, it was best to do it just to avoid an altercation with the teacher; however, I wouldn't have had such a realization in third grade, where handwriting practice was part of the curriculum for everyone.
Still, I do think I could have used one in fourth grade; that year, my teacher forced me to do my work on the System 7 Mac in the classroom multiple times.  He later said that they "went back and forth about" getting me a device to do my work on, but I didn't actually get one until I started fifth grade.  That DreamWriter--that was the model name--had some nice features, but it tended to be buggy; it even had to initialize itself every so often to clear out all its issues.  (Did it take after the student to which it was assigned? One wonders.) Still, it served me relatively faithfully for most of the year.
Also around that same time was the "Magic School Bus writing" incident.  Long story short, I discovered that, if I tried to imitate the font used on MSB media, I could write legibly, even though it took longer.  My fourth grade teachers were fine with this; one of them even gave me a shorter assignment because of it.  However, it ended up getting cut short in fifth grade, when my math teacher told the student who was grading my timed math test--which I couldn't type--to mark a correct answer wrong; his reasoning was something to the effect of, "That's not the way you write a one."  I even had to write the problem and answer five times, even though I had the right answer to begin with; after that, I never used such writing on an assignment again.
Now, let me get into a story that illustrates why I needed such a device: It was obvious early on that my penmanship was poor, so, in a effort to improve it, my mom required me to practice it at least four days a week every week for at least two summers.  Sounds like it would help matters, right? Well, it didn't; at the start of every year after those summers, I got the same complaints: "I can't read this." "Please slow down." "This isn't legible." It was like I hadn't even practiced at all.  So, those of you who think I didn't need such a device: If practicing like I did didn't change anything, can you honestly think of anything that would? Didn't think so.
In sixth grade, I got my first AlphaSmart, which I used at the start of the year; however, something strange happened around the spring that I still can't explain.  Out of boredom, I was drawing a comic in the style of Pokémon Red, which was one of my favorite games at the time, and attempted to emulate the monospace font used within the game.  When I tried it, I was shocked at how good it looked, and even the AVID tutors were remarking at how much my handwriting had improved...but, as usual, it proceeded to go back to its usual poorness by the start of seventh grade year.
I used an AlphaSmart in seventh grade as well, and started out with one in eighth grade, but later got a CalcuScribe, though that thing was defective and caused me to lose quite a bit of my work.  It wasn't until tenth grade that I got a Dana.  No, despite my penchant for female names, I didn't give it that name; if I'd named it, it most likely would have been called Hilary, Lizzie, or Christy.  That femininely-named device was actually the best one I ever had; it combined the functionality of the DreamWriter and CalcuScribe with the reliability of the AlphaSmarts.  In fact, it ran on a Palm engine, though I never had the heart to try installing any apps on it.  Along with my Dana came my own personal printer, which meant I no longer had to leave class to print out my work, though I became known for having a rather large backpack.  My Dana was my schoolwork companion from the start of tenth grade until the end of high school; in fact, I literally kissed it goodbye on the last day of my senior year.  (Why did I do that? Simply because the pulchritudinous lady from the assistive tech center asked me to, and I couldn't refuse her request in front of a bunch of infatuated high school guys.  If you were in my shoes, you'd understand.)
After high school, I went to a technical college, were writing was largely not needed.  However, I did apply for plenty of jobs.  Did my poor penmanship cause problems then? To a degree, yes; still, it wasn't as bad as you might think.  At least half of the jobs, including all of the ones at libraries and most of the ones at bookstores, as well as right many others, required little, if any, writing to actually apply.  Most of them had an application that was entirely online, and some of the ones that didn't had a PDF application with blanks that you could fill out via Adobe Reader; after that, all you had to do was print it, sign it, and then deliver it in whatever method: fax, mail, by hand, scan and e-mail, etc.  In some ways, it was actually better that I had gotten used to typing instead of writing; as our world continues to go digital, that will likely be the case even more in the years to come.
Recently, some situations have required me to write by hand, but they've usually ended up working out for the better.  When I used to be a library volunteer, I was required to "double check" certain items, and to affix a sticky note with any messages that came up when I scanned them.  I wasn't sure if the librarian who asked me to do it could read my writing, but she actually could; it probably helped that I wrote in all caps, which I have found easier, despite what some of my critics say.  Even submitting written prayer requests during church services has turned out okay.  Though no one has asked me to write an entire paragraph by hand in quite a while, I've still had to write by hand at times, and people can usually get the meaning, even if they can't read every single word.
Frankly, I don't know what the future of my handwriting holds.  It may turn out that, at some point, I'll be able to write better; then again, there are plenty of people out there, especially guys, who have poor penmanship without any sort of disability.  With my condition, it seems that progression is something that literally just happens.  The celebrity obsession thing is perfect proof; I never took any steps to try to stop it, but it seems to have come to an end recently.  Could that happen with my handwriting? Maybe.
I will end by saying this: Most Christians have certain people in the Bible--other than Jesus, of course--who are their favorites for one reason or another.  Usually, when asked which Biblical individual is their favorite, people will say Old Testament characters such as Joseph, Moses, Elijah, or Samson.  My favorite, however, has always been the Apostle Paul.  Why? Well, he was a prolific writer--hey, he wrote over half of the New Testament!--and, from what I can tell, he didn't let poor penmanship stop him.  It has been supposed that his "thorn in the flesh" (2 Corinthians 12:7) was some sort of visual impairment, which is based on Galatians 6:11 ("See what large letters I use as I write to you with my own hand!") and Romans 16:22 ("I, Tertius, who wrote down this letter, greet you in the Lord.")  However, I've always wondered if Paul's "thorn in the flesh" was actually some sort of hand-eye coordination problem, which would have made it quite difficult to write as prolifically as he did.  I've had people be my scribes, and I have always tended to write rather largely, so I share the same affliction as Paul.  While he had Tertius to help him make his thoughts known, I have Victoria Kerrie Reeves-Stevens, aka my flat-screen iMac, to do the same thing.  Is it any wonder that I look up to the Apostle Paul?
Any comments?

Childlike Tastes? No Problem!

I know it's a bit long, but take a look at this list:

Mork & Mindy, Super Smash Bros. Melee, Putt-Putt the talking car, Bill Nye the Science Guy, Judy Blume's Fudge series, Complete Savages, Spider-Man 2, Wishbone, Growing Pains, ApologetiX, Garfield, Lizzie McGuire, dc Talk, Weakest Link, Nintendo GameCube, Diff'rent Strokes, Big Fat Liar, The Magic School Bus, iCarly, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Mario Kart 64, VICTORiOUS, Scooby-Doo, Harriet the Spy: Blog Wars, Star Wars, Kevin Max, TobyMac, Leap Year, American Idol, Dinosaur Safari, Pokémon, Dancing With the Stars, Weddings by Bella...

 Many of you have likely either never heard or know very little about right many of the items listed...but what do they have in common? Well, they're all entertainment-related--television shows, computer/video games, music artists/bands, movies, and books are all on that list; at some point in my life, each one of them was--and, in a few cases, still is--among my favorites in one area or another; and, all of them are relatively family-friendly, or, at the very least, kid-friendly.
That's still the way I roll; one look at my playlist, latest reads, or video/DVD collection, and you'll find that much of it is quite innocent and inoffensive.  True, some of it isn't for young children just because they wouldn't be able to understand it, but I always try to keep it clean.  For me, when something has a large amount of sexual content, graphic violence, profanity, or similar content, I usually have a negative opinion of it.  There have been some exceptions--for example, the Christian movie To Save a Life deserved its "PG-13" rating, but was still great for vilifying the sinful actions shown for the iniquities that they are--but, usually, I can't get behind a movie with such content.  That's a very big reason why I always avoid "R" films; if they didn't have much that I would object to, then they wouldn't have that rating.  Even with "PG-13" films, I've almost always found that the only good ones are Christian movies, like the aforementioned To Save a Life, superhero flicks, such as Batman Begins or The Avengers, or science fiction/fantasy films, including Star Wars: Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, Star Trek: Nemesis, or Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.  Many films with that rating that don't fall into one or more of those categories--Mean Girls 2, Satisfaction, Passengers, etc.--easily rank among the worst movies I've ever seen, as do the two "R" films, Fahrenheit 9/11 and Vision Quest, both of which I watched against my will.  Probably the best higher-rated, non-Christian, non-sci-fi/fantasy, non-superhero flick I've ever seen was the 2008 remake of Get Smart, and I even had a few issues with that one.  Just last night, I tried watching Girl in Progress, which the Dove Foundation recommended for those over twelve, and was rather upset by much of its content.  Books, music, and television can be just as troublesome at times; I've always said that I'm a sucker for entertainment, but only if it's family-friendly.
What I described above is one of the reasons why I'm a big fan of Nickelodeon and Disney productions; these days, it seems like it's nearly impossible for Tinseltown to make a film for adults and/or teens that lacks loads of salacious content.  Even some "kiddie" flicks have such problems; Slate magazine called the Percy Jackson movie "scary" and "oversexed," and that was based on a beloved children's novel.  Still, for the most part, entertainment intended for the younger set is largely clean...but it nonetheless seems to be the only kind that currently is, and that's why I'm a fan of it.
Unfortunately, it seems that a common trend is for people to seek out salacious content rather than avoid it.  I'm reminded of a discussion between two of my seventh grade classmates, where one guy complained that his father would only allow him to watch Disney movies when he had friends over, and the other guy said, "Well, you can watch The Lion King; that's got violence in it!"  Later on, some of my high school classmates claimed they had never watched a "G" film, which, in my opinion, isn't something of which to be proud.  That's actually more commonplace than many would believe; most folks, it seems, either enjoy such content or are just indifferent to it.  I'm not, and that's why "juvenile" entertainment is my favorite kind; it lacks the stuff that I don't like, while keeping the stuff that I enjoy.
Of course, like with much of what I do, my critics feel that I'm "too old" for such entertainment.  My defense? "For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children. I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it." (Luke 18:16-17, NLT) "But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving." (Ephesians 5:3-4, NIV) "Do not be like children in your thinking, my friends; be children so far as evil is concerned, but be grown up in your thinking." (1 Corinthians 4:20, GNT; emphasis mine) I realize that many Christians watch, read, or listen to whatever, and feel that it isn't wrong; I'm not the judge, so I can't say whether it is or not, but I do know that it isn't right for me to do that, because not only does it bother me, but I'm not one to forget entertainment, so whatever I see, hear, or read is likely to stick with me for quite a while.  Philippians 4:8 (NIV) says, "Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."  You may not be a fan of the same entertainment I am, but, if you took a look at it, you'd realize it's much more noble, right, and pure than much of what's popular with the teen and adult crowd these days.
Any comments?

Too Many Books? Yes!

This is not my actual collection, but it might as well be!

It's no secret that I am a book lover.  Anyone who has gone on my Facebook page has likely seen at least one of my book reviews, and even "non-Facebookers" know that I often have my nose stuck in some sort of literature.  Equally well-known is that, though I usually buy at least a few books a month, I rarely pay full price for them; between yard/garage sales, used bookstores, library sales, thrift stores, and similar places, I almost always get it on the cheap.
Therein lies a problem, though: Since books--as well as CDs, DVDs, and VHS tapes, for that matter--are easy for me to acquire for little money, that also makes it not all that difficult to overload on them; unfortunately, it seems, that's just what I've done.  Over the past several months, my collection of entertainment--that is, books, CDs, DVDs, and video tapes--has gotten bigger than it has ever been, so much so that I have continually struggled to make room for all of it.  Sure, I've gotten rid of quite a few items; just today, I donated five or so boxes, mostly of books, to my local library, and I've also been to used bookstores a few times this year, not to mention the yard sale my family and I had this past spring.  Despite that, I still have trouble making room for all of it.
One weakness I've noticed in myself is that I have a tendency to buy items that I don't need.  Rarely do I come home from a day of yard saling empty-handed; I almost always end up buying something, even if I don't really need it.  It's apparently been going on for a while; some books that I bought at least a year ago have sat on my shelf since then, only being even touched when I shift and/or move it to make room for other books.  Online interaction has also played a part in this; plenty of time that could have been spent enjoying a great novel or a wonderful movie has instead been wasted checking Facebook or my personal e-mail for the umpteenth time.  Yet, it would be wrong to gloss over the fact that bulk acquisition has had a great effect on why my collection is as large as it is.
So, what's to be done? Well, first off, I think it's time to lay off the yard sales, thrift stores, and library sales.  Though going to one every so often can be fun, it's a problem when I just have to go to every single one I can.  My bulk orders on eBay should also be kept to a minimum. Used bookstores and other trade-in places such as MovieStop are okay, because I get rid of books or DVDs there in order to get new ones, which isn't the case with those other places.  Not only that, but more of my free time should be spent with a book or movie instead of engaging in ridiculous activities such as looking up pointless information online.  Doing so would probably make me happier, and prevent me from getting into trouble, which we all know is way too easy on the Web.  I'm hoping to make a change for the better; can I get you to help me out with that?

Limited Tastes = Problems?

In 1999, I was introduced to a show called Mork and Mindy, which I am still a fan of to this day.  Everywhere I went, I was telling people, "Na nu, na nu," which got responses ranging from an echo of the Orkan greeting, to laughter, to even, "May the Force be with you!" I couldn't shut up about the show; I had found a new (well, to me, anyway) television program to love, which was great for me...but not for those around my age with whom I associated.  The vast majority of my peers--classmates, coeval church members, fellow Cub Scouts, kids in my neighborhood--had no idea who Mork or Mindy even were, and the few who did didn't like it, save for a Cub Scouting buddy of mine.  That caused me to interact more with adults, because they were largely the only ones who cared; my adoration of that old sci-fi sitcom did little but annoy the kids I hung around.
As time went on, my interests had both the same effect and the exact opposite.  Though some of my anti-popular likes, such as Nintendo GameCube and Scooby-Doo, caused even worse problems, the fact that I was a Pokémon fan instantly bonded me and a few other kids.  Prior to me discovering Lizzie McGuire, I avoided almost all popular, current, non-gaming entertainment just because I thought it wasn't worth my time.  Since then, my tastes have continued to expand, which has helped me associate with a broader range of people.
The last bit is funny when you think about it.  On my last post, a good friend left a comment that said, "You will continue to face this same problem as long as you do not find some common interest with people." Yes, the "problem" she was talking about was the issue of my tastes not matching up with others'; however, my interests have broadened so much over the past few years that I can find something to discuss with pretty much anyone.
Here's an example: At my church, I have several people whom I interact with almost every week, and I discuss whatever mutual interest(s) I have with them.  My techie friends and I talk about whatever Apple has just unveiled; me and my book-loving buddies converse about our latest reads; those who like the same shows as I do chat with me about the latest VICTORiOUS or American Idol episodes; fellow bargain hunters share their finds with me, and I share mine with them; and, if I can find anything else that both me and another person like, I'll discuss it with him/her.  That's a far cry from the days when almost everything I said or did was about the same topic.
Frankly, the fact that I can converse with nearly anybody about something he/she likes makes me happier.  It's no wonder I was such a frustrated individual in my younger days; everything that was important to me, no one else cared about at all!  I'm glad those days are over; I have more friends, better interaction with others, and more varied activities as well.  That's what I sorely needed for quite a while; I just hope it doesn't go away.
Any comments?

Overrated = Controversy?

I've mentioned before that I used to be a member of an online forum for fans of the old-school Christian band dc Talk.  Though all of us loved that band, we talked about everything else under the sun as well, including other musical artists/bands, both Christian and mainstream.  A longtime frequent poster, who was known as Jab, once posted that he felt the music of Pink Floyd was overrated, but that Relient K's album Five Score and Seven Years Ago was among his favorites.  That single comment caused a firestorm of responses from just a few people.  One of them wrote, "Jab, your musical tastes are utter CRAP.  Until you hear 'Shine On You, Crazy Diamond,' in all SEVEN of its parts, you have no idea how talented they were, in comparison to someone like Relient K.  Seriously, let's hear Kelly Clarkson try to play 'Money' without sampling it." All of them continually railed against him until an administrator stepped in and said, "I think that right now, this topic should end."
I bring that up for one reason and one reason only: As someone who finds much of what is popular to be overrated, I have faced similar backlash, even when it comes to topics outside the entertainment realm.  Currently, most of what I like--Nickelodeon and Disney Channel productions, reading, yard/garage sales, etc.--is largely unpopular with similar-aged folks, and most of what I cannot stand--anything involving large bodies of water, any piece of entertainment that is or should be rated "R," sports, Halloween, and the like--are nearly universally liked, based on what I hear and see almost everywhere.  When I have expressed my opinions, though, people often respond with harsh criticism; they wonder how anyone could like the latter over the former.
Now, I understand that everyone is entitled to their own opinion; however, I am, too, and what I don't get is why folks would think that trying to argue with me or cajole me was going to cause my opinion to change.  If I would rather watch VICTORiOUS than go to the local water park, who's to tell me that's wrong?
Some of you probably would say that my dislike for certain entities, particularly beaches, pools, and the like, is very intense, and you'd be right; in fact, I used to feel it was both a phobia and a religious conviction.  At one point, I was so opposed to them that I felt that no one should be involved in them; that was erroneous on my part, though.  After some recent thinking, and realizing that I'm not really afraid of large bodies of water, and that I didn't care for activities involving them even before I could understand what Matthew 5:28 meant, I realized that it's not a conviction nor a phobia; I just despised them, and I still do.
What is it that causes me to feel that way? I originally was planning for a post titled "Beaches, Pools, Water Parks, and Me: The REAL Story," but I don't think I had enough to go on for an entire blog post, so I'll sum up how I feel: Essentially, it's nothing more than the exposed skin that is required when one goes to such a place.  I know that some of you might be thinking, "Well, that's ridiculous!" To you it may be, but to me, that's the way it is.  Others of you may be saying, "Well, if you went on such outings regularly, you'd probably get used to it." Sorry, wrong again.
When I first started middle school, I was shocked by the language the majority of my classmates were using.  Although the shock went away after a while, the fact that it bothered me did not, and I am thankful that I am currently employed at a location where no one uses profanity, which means I am hopefully done with that mess.  Hearing such language is still irksome, and probably always will be to me.
Recent events have also shown that the exposed skin regularly seen at beaches, pools, and water parks is the same way.  Many of you don't know this, but for a few weeks, I tried watching an Australian-produced teen fantasy/dramedy called H2O: Just Add Water, which is about three teenage girls who transform into mermaids whenever they touch water.  There was at least one beach or pool scene in every episode, so swimsuits were on full display.  Though the mermaids' costumes showed less skin than Disney's Ariel, and the content was largely clean--no profanity, romances that were 100% innocent, violence being occasional and never graphic--I ended up giving up on it, most likely because of the exposed skin.  H2O: Just Add Water must be pretty popular; Calendars.com has a 2013 calendar of the show for sale, and I also randomly came across a licensed mermaid costume inspired by the show.  Still, it was just too much for me to handle.  The fact that I don't like being submerged in water only adds to my dislike.
You probably already know why I don't care for sports or Halloween/October, so we don't need to get into that.  Here's my point, though: Whether or not you understand why I feel the way I do about whatever, if you're my friend, there's one thing you should do: Accept it.  Even if you can't comprehend why anyone would adore iCarly but despise the beach, don't debate it; don't try to change me or my opinions; just leave it be.
That may sound easy, but, in the past, it wasn't for some people.  Yes, part of that may have been immaturity on others' parts, but, many times, the adults were just as bad if not worse.  Remember that incident with the "fun" outing that I refused to go on because I knew what it involved? Well, other than me, there were no kids involved in that.  Everyone in that story, even the person who sent me the nasty-gram, was an adult, and other grown-ups acted similarly at other times.  Seriously, did people really think that they could force me to like something I never have?  Even trying to politely refuse didn't work; I would get bombarded with questions like, "How do you know you don't like...?", or, "Why don't you like...?" Why couldn't they just accept a simple no, instead of dragging it out, which didn't help anyone?
The fact is: It doesn't have to be that way anymore.  Some of you reading this may see yourselves in the above words; I would hope that, by this point, you've matured enough to realize the error of your ways.  For those of you who have never been that way, I hope you'll take these words of mine into consideration.  Let me be clear on one fact: I don't want people to stop inviting me to functions; that's not my point here.  What I want is for people to just accept it when I politely refuse; that's all I ask.
In conclusion, let me say this: I didn't want to have to post on this topic again; in fact, if you look at my last two posts, you'll see that they're discussion starters, and end with questions I wanted my readers to answer.  However, my attempt to do something different was foiled by an essential lack of response; the same person, albeit a good friend, was the only one to even bother answering?  True, some frustration with other circumstances, such as a random leak that has caused serious damage to my parents' house, probably made the above weigh heavily on my heart.  Still, this blog doesn't have to be all about me, celebrities, and entertainment; it can start a discussion, but that requires other people.  I'm not about to sit here and talk to myself on here; I do that enough offline.  If I'm left to my own devices, I'll have to talk about what I know, which is going to cause some serious repetition; I don't think any of you want that, do you?

My Odd Lifelong Love

Over the years, many of my interests have come and gone.  Some of what I used to adore--Diff'rent Strokes, The Magic School Bus, Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers--I currently detest...and vice versa: American Idol, the Internet, Harry Potter, and even Nickelodeon.  Others, I just became indifferent about.  I never really despised it; my "love" for it just died down after a while, even if I still do like it.  A few even went from being liked, to hated, to liked again.  Although there isn't much one could say I've always liked, there still are a few topics that fall into that category--computers, Garfield, and strange words/advanced vocabulary--but tons of people like those.  However, there is one long-time love of mine that, I admit, is odd, but I still love them, and I probably always will.  What would that be? Calendars.
Why do I love them so much? You know, I really don't know.  I can remember me making them--or, at least, attempting to--on every computer I've ever had, even my Commodore 64, which we gave away just after I turned seven.  I loved making them with all sorts of graphics, fonts, backgrounds, etc., and proceeded to show them off to anyone who would take the time to look at them.  Though I don't make my own calendars as much as I used to--not to say that I don't do it at all anymore--I still am a huge fan of store-bought ones; in fact, I have eight 2012 calendars, and I just purchased my fifth one for 2013 via eBay this morning.  I've had one almost every year for well over a decade, and their topics have ranged from Scooby-Doo to astronomy to Lizzie McGuire to Harry Potter to Jeopardy! to Wallace and Gromit...and that's not even half of them! Whatever the reason, I have always been a fan of calendars.  Most people don't seem to think much of them--they use them to check the date, if at all--but I love them.

What is something that you have loved for a long time that others might find odd?

I HAVE To See This!

Several months ago, I read in the e-magazine Family Fiction that a celluloid adaptation of the modern Christian classic Jerusalem Countdown was coming out soon.  If it ever came to any theaters near me, it must have come and gone quickly, because I never got any wind of it.  The DVD released in April, and I've seen it for sale for about fifteen bucks at local stores ranging from MovieStop to LifeWay, but I think that's a bit much for any movie I'm likely to only watch once.  It did premiere on a channel we get via our digital cable, but it only came on one night, and I was experiencing serious emotional distress at that time, not to mention that I'm not a big fan of watching movies on live television anyway.  The usual avenues I use to rent/borrow movies don't have it available.  Still, despite all that, there's just something about it that appeals to me, to the point where, barring Jesus' return or some sort of serious catastrophe, I just have to see it.
This isn't the first time I've had such a feeling about a movie.  In summer of 2009, Bandslam came out in theaters, but it fizzled out so quickly that almost no one, not even me, got to see it on the big screen.  I was so insistent about seeing it that I literally checked the library's card catalog at least once a day to see when it became available, and I ended up being number two in line.  A random desire to see Harriet the Spy: Blog Wars woke me up to Jennifer Stone, who is currently second only to Victoria Justice when it comes to my favorite celebrities.  Even outside of the realm of motion pictures, I once came across an advertisement for a Christian romance novel called Sweet Caroline, like the old Neil Diamond track, and sought it for quite a while; I was quite happy to find it at my local used bookstore.
All of those were positive experiences, but, sometimes, such feelings end up causing me to get burned.  About a year or so ago, I saw a VHS copy of the old-school music flick Satisfaction, which starred Justine Bateman (Family Ties) and Liam Neeson (Batman Begins, Star Wars: Episode I: The Phantom Menace).  It was one someone had donated to the library, so I couldn't buy or rent it, but, after seeing it, I just had to watch the film.  Just before last New Year's, I finally did, and it was easily among the worst films I've ever had the displeasure of sitting through.  Though the performances were great, everything else about it was just terrible.  Such an experience has made me more careful; now, before watching, reading, or playing something I have such a desire for, I have to make sure: Is it even something I should be exposing myself to? If my sources say no, then I'll skip it and move on to something else.
So, here is my question to you:
Have you ever seen or heard about something and felt that you had to get your hands on it as soon as possible? 
Were you able to do so?
Did it meet your expectations?