People Who Bother

May 26, 2015 by Ray Morgan

People who bother

I have this necklace. It's a silver triangle, containing a circle and a little bar. I got it for about £5 on Etsy and it's my favourite piece of jewellery because... when people figure out what it is, it's like being in a secret club. I was wearing it at work and one of the senior directors stopped mid sentence and said "Is that what I think it is?" and before that, a very small camp barman clutched his chest and gasped and said "Oh my god! Is that a DEATHLY HALLOWS NECKLACE?"

Yes, people. I have a Harry Potter necklace. This is the level of geek we're talking. But the thing is, only people who know about it, recognise it. It's a symbol of how much I freakin' love Harry Potter and it brings my attention to people who are as geeky as me.

I saw an interview with George Clooney where he described going to Comic-Con, the enormous convention for comic books, sci fi, fantasy, cult movies and all kinds of incredible entertainment. Mr. Clooney said that he loved it because everybody there was full of passion. Passion for Star Trek, Star Wars, Spiderman, Lost - you name it. If it's cult, it's there.

It made me think about what an appealing trait passion is. I thought about my friends and the things they feel deeply passionate about and how much I love that, whether it's wildlife, interior design, folk music, the music of Queen, Margaret Atwood, collecting vinyl, crochet or camping. Passion is what drives us, and I love people who bother to make an effort for something they love.

There's a Facebook group for fans of a 1980s BBC kids' drama called The Box of Delights. This programme was big business in my house growing up - it's Christmassy, compelling, and just the right side of creepy (I don't think kids' TV has that 80s element of scariness about it anymore). There are people who LOVE this programme so much they set up a Facebook group about it! That is passion! I love it. They'll post in there when they're watching it, or when they visit somewhere that featured in the filming. Some may mock such vibrant passion but I salute it.

I also think we love that feeling of getting an in-joke about something we feel passionate about. I love the online tshirt shop Last Exit to Nowhere because they make movie tshirts without actually naming the movie. Instead, it'll be a tshirt with, say, the name of the pub from Shaun of the Dead, or the name of the town in Jaws (10 cool points if you get either of these). It creates that feeling of recognition: hey, I get that joke. It's almost as if there's a knowing nod. Like when bus drivers or people in VW Campers wave to each other. Those moments are special. If you recognise my Deathly Hallows necklace, we will have one of those moments. Congratulations. You're just as geeky as me.

My top 5 things I am a SUPERFAN of

1. Harry Potter - no apologies
2. Spaced - I'm a geek about this, which is geeky enough in itself
3. The band Richmond Fontaine
4. Corrie. #sorrynotsorry
5. Amy Poehler. I will watch ANYTHING she acted in, wrote, produced, or was anything to do with. Love that woman.