How very true all that is, and I didn't even want to watch BB2!
I became absolutely enthralled with all of it, and especially, of course, with the 'love thang'. As the series progressed, I started work earlier to get home in time to see a little E4 each afternoon, and when the series ended I was floundering, 'totally!' -so anxious about what would happen, and eager to hear any news at all. Although newspapers scoffed at the need for helplines, I couldn't ridicule them because deep down I knew I wasn't that far away from needing one myself!
This was no problem at first, we were on information and disinformation overload. It was everywhere you looked. At work each morning, I would saunter to the newsagents in the hospital entrance and rifle the tabloids and magazines for information. I was frustrated when it started to tail off, but there were at least the few tapes I had kept to watch.
I was a bit concerned that I, as a so- called sane, rational and reasonably intelligent person, was so obsessed with the BB2 'two'. When, in September, I went on holiday. I was actually relieved that there would be no way I could reinforce the obsession.
I thought, great, this will cure me. It was the break with it all I needed. Whilst touring the classical sites of Greece, I was transfixed by the wonder of it all, and it did help a lot. It was so distant, and I was surrounded by things that really WERE amazing, absolutely unbelievable and triple cool. I was 'totally' in my little element.
During the tour (not during the war, as Uncle Albert would say!), OH and I became friendly with a lovely couple, and he thought it would be hilarious to regale them with details of my Helen and Paul fixation. This backfired somewhat, because they had both been completely fascinated by it themselves, and we subsequently talked for hours and hours about it, amongst the Corinthian columns, in the crumbling Parthenon, and on the majestic slopes of Mount Olympus.
I passed through Lion Gate, scaled the hills to Agamemmnon's palace, and basked in the heat and the profound sense of timelessness around me. I was acutely aware in that moment of my own mortality, and my complete insignificance in time and space. It didn't matter, in fact is was strangely comforting. I had acheived another of my life's ambitions just to be there, and I felt privileged.
I closed my eyes, and enjoyed the moment, eventually becaming vaguely aware of my new friend sitting down beside me.
'This is wonderful isn't it?' I remarked.
'Mmmm, yes, fantastic', she replied. 'I was wondering though, do you think that Helen did the right thing, taking that risk, throwing caution completely to the wind?'
I opened my eyes and mentally trawled through my limited knowledge of the woman behind the face that launched a thousand ships, Troy, Paris, and all of that, and said, 'Well, maybe not, not if she had considered the enormous repercussions, the conflict, the bloodshed......'. Only then did I realise by the puzzled look on her face that she was referring to our own very contemporary, domestic menage a trois!
I have to admit that the situation did then encroach increasingly into my ancient reverie. I even contemplated asking the oracle at Delphi for a forecast, but I got a grip of myself and put it down to the altitude, the heat, and the effects of toiling up the mountain!
After our return home, information soon fizzled out, and in desperation I had a little look on the internet and found TBB, and a few other sites. Perhaps it would have been better if I hadn't, because I would have been 'cured' long ago. My long period at home has compunded it and as you all know, I have spent far, far too long on the net, too long writing daft stories, and too long watching a growing library of videos.
At some time in the future I will shudder with embarassment about this I imagine, but at this moment, I have no regrets whatsoever.
I am almost completely back to normal
- well, normal for me, and I have enjoyed talking to everyone so very much. Without any doubt the best thing about it all has been making some wonderful friends, and even meeting some of them. I am sure we will stay in touch for a long time to come.
I suppose I should be grateful that a whole new BB is coming along, because it needs to, but I really don't want the characters to supplant the inmates of BB2. I fear they will, almost immediately, as they supplanted Craig, Darren and co. last year.
One thing I do know however, is that they will have to be something really special to put 'falling in love on national TV' into the shade. I don't think that's going to happen again, and even if it did, we'd be so suspicious about it all. The characters wouldn't have that mixture of naivety, sillyness, and helplessness to fight the developing sexual tension and natural chemistry between them.
The sites have been great, and I hope they still will be. I've lost heart with one of them, tired of the need to defend characters who are still being treated as if they were arch villians, when they were just confused and overwhelmed and living on their wits against all the odds.
I love this site because it has developed into something which is lively and fun, and there is a real participation by the team in charge.
Let's hope it stays this way when the new series starts, when alliances are formed, and when rivalry and jealousy rears it's ugly head again.
Meanwhile dear reader, I must admit to you, that the wonderful karaoke queen, the purveyor of taping skills par excellence, the fortunate wife of velvet voiced Lionel Richie soundalike that is DISCOLADY
has dispatched to me yet another collection of as yet unseen gems.
What joy I felt this very morn when I heard the reassuringly substantial thud of the jiffy envelope hitting the hall carpet!
God is in his heaven, all's right with the world, and I'm going down to watch Big Brother!
