What's Wrong With A Little Obsession?

It Can Be Genuinely Harmless

Ever see the movie Hannibal directed by Ridley Scott? I always really liked that movie because it showed the beauty and the ugliness of life at the same time. It even touched on obsession. I remember the scene where Hannibal is quoting Dante Allighieri, “He woke her then, and trembling and obedient, she ate that burning heart out of his hand. Weeping, I saw him then depart from me."

Allegra then asks, “Dr. Fell, do you believe a man could become so obsessed with a woman, from a single encounter?"

Hannibal responds, "Could he daily feel a stab of hunger for her? Find nourishment in the very sight of her? I think so. But would she see through the bars of his plight, and ache for him?”

I picture a man with a harmless obsession. He sees the same woman every day, but dares not approach. Like Curly in the movie City Slickers when describing his one true love to Billy Crystal, he states that he admires her from afar only. He never speaks to her. After observing for so long he knows when to anticipate her daily arrival, how long she'll stay, and when she will leave. He admires her dedication, devotion, consistency, and intensity. She represents these things, and her predictable presence is comforting and reassuring. When she is out of view he imagines her every step in an effort to predict when she will show again.

He is impressed with her beauty. She has a well defined facial bone structure. She has a certain style to how she moves that attracts him. It is not a sexual attraction mind you, but more of an admiration. She is determined, focused, driven, and this sets her apart. Her eyes, however, are positively mesmerizing, and her hair style makes her instantly recognizable to him; he could spot her in a crowd of thousands easily. She is such a reliable presence that merely seeing her can cause him a certain type of reassurance. In fact, he must see her every day, and will go out of his way to find her; all the while she has no idea he even exists. He has found nourishment in the very sight of her.

She is younger than he. She reminds him of his youth when he was driven and committed. No one has ever done that for him before. Most people lack the ability to rise consistently to such high demands. He wants to compliment her. He is curious about what drives her. She inspires him.

Should he approach her? Should he cross the line and risk breaking the rules he has set upon himself? Is it worth it? Will speaking directly to her possibly tarnish or damage the perfect image he has in his head. What if she is rude, uncouth, unkind, or unintelligent? What if her voice is unpleasant, or has bad breath? Anything could destroy his image of her, and thus his daily dose of joy. No, not at this time. It is too risky, and he enjoys her too much. He awakens in the morning to see that the sun has risen, his car starts with ease, and she is there, thus all is good in the world, everything is okay, everything is perfect.