obsession

  I often see the experts on Facebook conversing about all manner of things. By experts I mean those that appear to have exhaustive knowledge about whatever is being discussed, everything from cast iron frying pans to thermo-nuclear energy. I'm amazed at some of the things people collect, and to me appear obsessed with. Sometimes I'm impressed and at other times, well I'll say questioning. 

 Personally, I'm not an expert on anything. I make no claim to that at all. I'm more of a general knowledge guy, but not a Jeopardy general knowledge guy. Not very good at trivia pursuit either. I think it is simply because I haven't found that one thing to become obsessed with. There are plenty of things I like that I enjoy, but none that I want to focus all my energy on. I'm constantly distracted by something else. I guess it just doesn't take a lot to satisfy my curiosity. I look at it differently though, I don't think it takes me long to grasp a new concept or idea. The further development of that concept or idea I just leave to the one that discovered it in the first place.

 I have thought that perhaps when it comes to that I have a champagne taste with a beer pocketbook. If I could I would collect cars like Jay Leno. That something I could get obsessed with. But that isn't going to happen. Even with automobiles I never wanted one that bad to sacrifice, scrape and save to purchase it. I've had a few I wish I had kept like my 64 T-bird. I drove it every day, it wasn't a show car. I didn't become an expert on 1964 Thunderbirds. I like tools of all kinds and have quite the collection of them. But my collection is just that, what I have collected over the years because I had a use for them, I needed that tool. I have tools for practically every occupation you can think of, with a few exceptions. I don't have any medical instruments unless you count tweezers and tongue depressors. I do have dental tools they are great for working on a carburetor or other small parts. My tools are not organized, hanging on a wall and displayed. No, just working tools.

 I do think it is better to have a little knowledge about a lot of things. If you have that basic knowledge, you can always expand on it when necessary. I told my kids before you try to fix anything you need to know how it works. If you know that you can usually figure things out. Computers have proven to be the biggest challenge I've faced in that regard. I'm not much of an electronics man and there isn't much that can be repaired in a computer, anyway, mostly just replace the proper component. The real difficulty lies in understanding the programming of those things! I don't have a very good grasp on that at all. I also have little interest in learning. I did learn a long time ago when you don't know what you're doing, it is best to do nothing at all! It's true there are times when you are forced, no other choice but to do something, but for the most part, just cool your jets and ask someone else. 

 There is only one subject I feel like I'm an expert on. I'm that subject. I believe I know myself fairly well. Everything and everyone else I'm still learning. I'll say this, I've been met with a lot of surprises over the years. It happens almost every day it seems. Truth be told sometimes I surprise myself. I still don't know how anyone can become so focused on a single subject to the point of obsession. And yes, I call it obsession when you can tell me what color the wire going to the radio in a 1949 Ford coupe should be. If you can identify a cast iron frying pan by manufacturer and date at a yard sale, you are becoming obsessed.  I can't help but think some of ya'll are possessed.