Passion, Obsession and Martha Stewart

My mother-in-law gave me a subscription to the Martha Stewart magazine when I first married her son. I didn’t take it personally...although in retrospect—perhaps I should have. However, my mother-in-law was always so nice to me...describing recipes, in detail, right down to what the stove looked liked and how to turn it on....I can’t believe the gift was anything more than sharing her passion for cooking with me.

I had never heard of Martha Stewart before....of course, why should I—I didn’t have a TV when I lived in the city and the thought of “housekeeping” or even “housework” never even occurred to me.

But it was love at first sight when I opened the magazine. I was IN LOVE with Martha Stewart. I loved her ideas, I loved her bitchiness, but most of all I loved her obsessions...I guess I am always impressed by people who have an overwhelming passion...no matter what that passion is for. Cinemanics ....I totally understand them. Those people in the middle of the country who do crop art . Monks—how much passion must they have to renounce the joys of common everyday life.

My whole family is passionate. My husband has many passions, but he hates when I mention him. Although I have to say his photo series, Sponge Bob in Paris is truly an obsessive and inspired body of work.

The Beast also has many passions--mostly involving scissors, an inordinate amount of paper and LOTS of glue. I came home one day to find that she had cut and stitched her curtains into costumes for her dolls. What can one do? One cannot stifle creativity.

I wonder sometimes about the children who are so scheduled with lessons and sports and playdates—do they have time to tap into their inner passions? Do any of us have time to sit and think and obsess about something that is truly meaningful to us? Something that we are are truly passionate about?