Fascinations

The concept of fascinations is fascinating in itself if you think about it long enough. Every person lives for different reasons; different activities are considered worthwhile or important; even lifestyles are vastly different from person to person. Eventually, looking at these differences leads you to the root: each person's unique fascinations. Fascinations sculpt us into what we are, who we are, and who we will become.

An interesting thought, isn't it?

I'll use myself as an example. My number one fascination is, of course, God. I live my life with the sole intent to know, love, and serve him to the best of my capabilities, which mean that I do my best to hold myself to perfection (no, I don't achieve it. But I do my best). That's going to govern a lot of my actions.

Other fascinations include: music, writing, reading, exercise, and animals.
- Music will always play a huge part in my personality; while I don't listen to music constantly, and would probably be get annoyed if I did, I love to perform, listen to, attempt to compose, and learn music.
- Writing is my outlet; through it I express whatever I'm feeling at the moment, whether it be blinding rage (rare) or a newly-discovered sense of humor.
- Reading is my pasttime; whether it be in immersing myself in the confines of a fantasy world, entering the mindset of the author in an autobiography, or confining myself to a Siberian forced labor camp in a non-fiction story, I adore entering the world of the story.
- Exercise gives me energy, in more ways than one. I feel an insane thrill when racing my bike down a mountain at 35 mph, or running until my legs can hold me up no longer, or slamming down a volleyball over the net as hard as I possibly can.
- Animals are my refuge; my dog Kodi is an ever-present companion, who howls when I leave him and welcomes my return with a deep "aaawww-WROOF!". I would love to surround myself with animals, whether they be dogs, cats, or squirrels - but the fact of the matter is, I'm 17, and I don't have the money to feed a Great Dane just yet.

There's another thing that rules my life, but it's not a fascination: family. Family, though, is not about "me", therefore, I don't classify it as a fascination.

Now, that's me. My life. My loves. My world. The above fascinations are unique to me - take away one, or add one, and I'd be completely different. There are so many different fascinations that it boggles my mind: cars, racing, horses, art, money, working, sewing, watching movies... the list goes on.

And fascinations are why it's so much fun to meet a new person, too. They carry with them their own set of fascinations, some of them alike and some of them not so much like yours. It's always interesting to watch two people meet while thinking about their fascinations - it makes it into a game of predicting how the two will interact.

I won't end this by asking 'what are you fascinations?'. I could, but I see no point. Rather, I'm just going to ask you... Do you think that I believe what I just said in this post?