Celebrity crush.

When I was in fifth grade, Titanic was released. 

And all the girls fell in love with Leonardo DiCaprio. 

I didn't get it.

I really didn't.

He was older. He was famous. He lived in California for crying out loud. I couldn't fathom a situation in which this adult man would come to the suburbs of Houston, Texas, and fall in love with a fifth grade girl in all her awkward ten-year-old glory. It just didn't add up. 

But Luke Skywalker, now that was a different story. 

I can't believe I said that out loud. But there it is: my first "celebrity" crush.  Okay well it was a tie between him and Han Solo. 

What can I say, I'm a woman of varied interests.

While I no longer have a crush on either one, I still gravitate towards characters instead of actors. Over Thanksgiving, we went around the table and said what famous person we would go on a date with if we had the chance. 

I couldn't think of a single one.

I could think of a million fictional characters but I couldn't think of one real flesh-and-blood famous person. So I ended up just parroting the last age-appropriate actor mentioned (it was George Clooney). 

It's not just movies. It's books. It's TV shows. It's anything with a compelling story line and characters that capture my imagination. I rewrite them in my head, changing characters to suit my needs and writing myself right into the story. 

Source.

That's what I love about books especially. With a TV or a movie, a lot of the mystery is removed. Everything is visible and known. 

But with a book, everything exists entirely in your mind. Things may be described but it's completely up to you to fill in the details. It's a completely immersive experience in a way TV or movies never could be. 

Books draw you in. They activate your mind while they transport it far away from your daily worries. 

I don't know that there will ever be a day when a real actor captures my interest more than a fictional character does. 

And I don't think I will ever figure out the whole Leonardo DiCaprio thing.

Sorry.

No, actually I'm not sorry. 

I don't get it. I just don't.