December 7, 2004
Random acts of senseless affection
Okay, let's talk about something we all do, whether we want to admit it or not. We've all had crushes on complete strangers. Sometimes it can be someone famous, sometimes it's someone you just see around. Usually they're harmless fun. Sometimes they cause problems, especially if you decide to take them seriously. But let's talk about the harmless ones.
It could be the girl behind the counter at your local cafe. She's not really a complete stranger, 'cause you go in there every day, but the only conversations you ever have are along the sparkling lines of:
"A flat white, please."
"Two dollars forty."
"Thank you."
Yet you find yourself daydreaming about her later, wondering what she looks like wearing something other than a black t-shirt with the cafe's logo on it.
It could be that singer/songwriter whose voice you love and whose songs you like. You find yourself looking at the cd cover more often than you play the album - but you always buy the new one anyway.
Maybe it's the tv presenter who's surely the only reason you watch that show on home renovation. Or someone who works in the same building as you, but you've never worked out exactly where. Or perhaps just someone you walk past on the street every day.
Odds are that if you ever got to know the person you'd be disappointed. But then again, who knows? The world is full of random goodness.
I can't really write this without revealing a random crush of my own. I choose Deborah Manning, who's the most media-visible of Ahmed Zaoui's lawyer. She seems like a sweetheart. I'd reveal a seen-in-real-life one but "that chick I see walking down the street sometimes" doesn't tell you anything does it?
Warren Ellis ("Transmetropolitan") once had Spider write "I fall in love every time that I walk out my door."
What a great phrase.
(In fact, so great I've nabbed it for use in one of the best songs I've written).
I've recently scammed myself a window seat in my place of work. It overlooks Featherston street, near the railway station.
And now that summers here I'm looking out the window and falling in love every five minutes.
This isn't in any way lecherous. It's just humans are so beautiful.
Posted by: Scott at December 8, 2004 9:50 AMNot just beautiful - delicious!
Mmm live warm brains...
Posted by: Pearce at December 8, 2004 7:11 PMHopefully someone else will share their secret stranger crush now so I don't feel TOO embarassed.
Posted by: Pearce at December 8, 2004 7:11 PMSarah Ulmer.
Mind you, is anyone else even reading this? =)
Posted by: Scott at December 9, 2004 9:52 AMI used to have a major crush on the Briscoes lady. Long ago she seemed so nice and homely, and always so positive about the wares on sale at Briscoes. Sadly I've never met her.
Posted by: chuck at December 9, 2004 1:21 PMI was headshrinking myself a little while back, and I realised that now I've grown up I *never* act on a crush.
When I was younger I used to embarrass myself chronically. Readers may remember this.
But now, if I find myself with a crush on someone, I take some time out and avoid them as much as possible for a little while. Then, when I'm feeling in control again, I'll start interacting with them again and decide if I actually like the person or not.
Often I discover turn-offs I hadn't noticed before (one recent crushee couldn't handle her drink... that's her out =).
Other times I discover I like them enough to ask for a date (but, because I'm out of the crush stage, a turn-down doesn't worry me).
And, with this approach, I find I'm actually quite enjoying single life at the moment...
But, of course, other's milage may vary =)
Posted by: Scott at December 9, 2004 2:48 PMthat Briscoes lady, she just had this thing... her attitude... and *homewares*... still sends chills up my spine...
Back in days when I worked at Massy Welli, there was a student who made me catch my breath every time she walked in the door. I think her name was Rachel something? I dunno. There was just something about her. I remember Tom Crosby advising me, at length, to ask her out.
Also: Archie Punjabi, from East is East (also, in a rather unflattering role, in Bend It Like Beckham). Grrrrrowl.
Posted by: morgue at December 10, 2004 12:40 AMMine is terribly embarassing. When I was about 14 I had a huge crush on Paul Holmes. I'd even watch Holmes rather than Shorties. I wrote him a long, long, long adoring letter, posing as a request for information for a school project. A few days later on his show he said that if people wanted a reply to their letters they had to keep them to a page a less or else they got screened out. I *knew* that comment was directly aimed at me.
Fortunatley, I'm over it now....
Posted by: cal at December 10, 2004 9:00 PMKeira Knightley. When I saw her walking down the aisle in Love, Actually I just caught my breath and leaned over to Lee and said "I'd marry her!"
Also in Spanish Apartment there's a barmaid at a club they go to. She was soooooo hot. OMG. Like the most beautiful woman ever.
Plus Orlando Bloom. Obviously. And for my most embarrassing one ever, just to make Cal feel a bit better: Robin off Batman Animated. Phwoor, he was so cool. I'd marry him too.
Posted by: Jenni at December 13, 2004 2:49 PMMarlee Matlin just seems so cool. And, now that she's older than she was in Children of a Lesser God, is beautiful.
And Jonathan Rhys-Meyers is absolutely gorgeous and has a lovely accent. Mmm!
However, I don't understand the imagining people in other (or fewer) clothes thing. I don't think I can do this, and I've never wanted to. Then again, I don't have a particularly visual imagination, so maybe it's just that.
Posted by: Jamie at December 14, 2004 9:49 AM