It was complete luck. A happy accident. Some would call it chance, others might choose destiny.

The “it” I’m talking about?

Serial. My latest obsession.

We’ll come back to Serial in a bit, but first I wanted to touch base on the concept of “obsession.” What it is, what it means, and is it healthy?

Before sitting down to write this I racked my brain to try and think back to my very first obsession. What was the first thing that completely hooked my brain? The first thing I couldn’t get enough of? And to be honest, I struggled for quite some time coming up with the answer.

As a five-year-old I loved racing toy cars down in my basement to the point I developed a point/ranking system and a pseudo-version of the current day Sprint To The Chase that NASCAR uses. But would I consider that an obsession?

Basketball was the first sport I really got into and enjoyed. Countless hours were spent dribbling and shooting on my Little Tikes hoop, but again, that was more of a passion than it was an obsession.

No, my first obsession was Michael Jordan. Not only did I thoroughly enjoy watching and reading about MJ, but he acted as fuel for my soul in a weird way. I NEEDED to consume as much as I could about him. Any book, any movie, any basketball game. I HAD to have as much content as possible.

From there, I added writing/reading, Cool Runnings and LOST to my short list of obsessions.

– If a day goes by that I’m not writing or reading something, I have trouble sleeping.

– When Cool Runnings came out on VHS in November of 1994 I watched it once a week for nearly three straight years.

– LOST introduced me to online message boards/communities where theories and predictions were abundant. I’ve also re-watched this series straight through multiple times.

Obsession is something you’re passionate about, but also something that defines you. For example, if you were to mention any of my Obsession Items to either a parent/close family member/friend, they would think of me. And if they don’t, they are no longer a close family member/friend.

Now, is any of this good for you? Is watching Cool Runnings more than 150 times healthy? The answer depends on what you do with your obsession. Do you harness it in a positive way? Do you find inspiration and courage from it? Or do you let it get completely out of control?

– With writing/reading, it’s helped develop a love for the English language as well as an irritating need to use correct grammar.

– Cool Runnings taught me all about respect. That movie made getting respect and keeping it my number one priority in every endeavor of my life.

– LOST unveiled the “mystery box.” The idea that possibilities are endless. I learned that life is about the process/development and not about the destination.

It’s a fine – and often times dangerous – line to straddle. As for me, I took all of these obsessions and threw them into a melting pot.

The result? Still to be determined.

ADDING A NEW OBSESSION

I discovered Michael Jordan through my older cousin Tony. Cool Runnings, with the help of my two best friends. And I discovered LOST thanks to word-of-mouth. But I found Serial all by my lonesome, which is not usually how this is done.

I sit at a computer all day long, which has its benefits and its drawbacks. Usually I’ll listen to The Dan Patrick Show, Pandora Music, or ESPN radio while I’m working. After getting tired of hearing the same commercials every 15 minutes for eight straight hours, I decided to give Podcasts a try.

I started with TED Talks, This American Life and Grantland’s NFL podcast. All were entertaining and a much-needed change of pace. During one mundane afternoon I took a stroll down the “Top Charts” section of my Podcast App and clicked on “Serial.” While I had heard of it, I knew nothing about it. I had seen the Serial SNL spoof, but understood zero of the references.

After one episode I knew I had stumbled on something good. After three episodes, I knew I had stumbled on something damn good. And half-way through, I knew I had stumbled on another obsession.

Serial is a first-person narrative, told by reporter Sarah Koenig. She investigates the 1999 murder of a high-school student in Baltimore, Maryland, Hae Min Lee. While on the surface there hardly seems to be anything special about a Baltimore murder during the 1990s, but as more details are unraveled you get the sense that this isn’t your typical homicide.

There’s cell-phone towers, false alibis, handwritten notes, and high racial tensions. There’s witnesses changing their stories and police possibly covering up evidence. All the while, an 18-year-old kid is sentenced to life in prison. Sixteen years later he still professes his innocence.

I powered through Serial in two days. From there I started listening to other Podcasts about Serial, reading about the case online, and checking Reddit for answers to my lingering questions. I could not get enough. I still can’t.

The story itself is remarkable and thought-provoking in its own right. But the way Sarah tells it is how Serial became such a huge hit. She is smart, logical and above anything else, curious. She is the captain of the ship, but through it all you feel as if she never gets in your way of discovering.

Serial – much like Cool Runnings and LOST – has inspired me. It’s also given me a new sense of focus. Writing a novel has always been a life-long dream of mine. I envisioned publishing a book that was going to make me rich and famous. I now know, that elements of Serial will be present in that book. It already has me plotting out possible story-lines that have me excited and enthused. None of that would have happened if it wasn’t for obsessing over Serial.

Maybe Serial was what was missing all along, and that is using an “obsession” in the best way possible.

Peace Be The Journey.