Tuesday, May 29, 2012

My Super-Strange Obsession

Blog Me Maybe: May I Tell You Something About Myself

Here's a random fact about me: I have this weird obsession with War.

No, that does not mean I like to fight or kill or maim or want to BE in a war of any kind. But I am fascinated with history and wars in particular.

Why? Who the heck knows.

The USS Arizona memorial (the brown circle sticking up is part of the actual Arizona)


When I was in Hawaii, I told my parents that the number one thing I wanted to do there was go to Pearl Harbor. My Dad asked why and I couldn't even answer him. I loved that I got the chance to go there. I wish we could have spent more time and done more. As it was, we spent all morning doing everything free- the museums, all the monuments and stuff outside, and of course the USS Arizona.

The Punchbowl


Another place we visited was the Punchbowl. This is a war memorial in a giant crater (or was it a volcano? I have no idea) right in the middle of Honolulu. There are thousands of plaques on the ground naming American soldiers who have fought in different wars. There are also walls and walls of names. My parents ended up waiting for me because I was taking so long there.

I also love war movies. Band of Brothers, Saving Private Ryan, Black Hawk Down, Braveheart, Enemy at the Gates, The Patriot, U-571, We Were Soldiers, Memphis Belle. Pearl Harbor is probably one of my all-time favorite movies. (And it has a great soundtrack BTW.)


This obsession also shapes my writing. If I get the chance to write more Jessica books in the future, I can tell you my obsession with war throughout history will decide where Jessica will Travel.

The reason behind my weird obsession with war remains a mystery to me. It might have started with my early love of swing music and old movie-musicals. Maybe. As a teen, I loved to go to Army surplus stores. I have a vintage Navy shirt and a "We Want You" poster. And this is hanging on the wall in my TV room:


Whatever the reason, I'm fascinated with war. I like to learn about it, read about it, watch anything about it. Yep, that's my super-strange obsession.What's yours?

3 comments:

  1. It's an interesting fascination to have. I really understand it too. The Great War and the Second World War had a huge impact on everyone in my grandparents' generation, with many of my family members (now deceased) in the military. My granddad was in the Royal Navy and sunk twice during the Second World War. And you don't have to go far in England to find a war memorial. I think that's why I don't enjoy war films - it's still easy to see the effects of what happened. And my family passed on their experiences. I posted a photo of my granddad in his uniform from 1947 here

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  2. I have this same obsession, so you're not as weird as you might think. :) I'm really big on history, so that's at least part of the reason. My husband and I try to do a Band of Brothers marathon every year (especially around Remembrance Day), and we have a war movie collection.

    In high school (on a mission trip) I got to go to Auschwitz, and it was a life-changing experience. My family also did a lot of travelling in the U.S., and my dad always made sure to take us to important Civil War sites. On our latest trip, I made sure to schedule a trip to Culloden battlefield near Inverness--an important site in Scottish history. Sorry for rambling, but I figured you'd like to know that you're not the only one. :)

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  3. Black Hawk Down was a good one. I also enjoy war movies. Have you ever seen The Thin Red Line? I watched it years ago, it came out around the same time as Saving Private Ryan and has more of an artsy feel to it.

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