It’s interesting to review old posts and realize the fundamental impetus and tone of this blog is the same. I still feel as I did when I wrote this post in 2010 with only a few changes. One of them is I can no longer keep up with the press on Richard Armitage. Part of that is due to my situation and part of it is due to there being so much more. This a good thing for him in more ways than one. LOL! (unfortunately, I have never kicked the LOL habit. Every time I’ve tried, something I’ve said in jest was misconstrued as serious). The other thing that’s changed is I almost feel like Richard Armitage is an old friend. Before anyone starts becoming worried about my having descended into the depths of some serious CW, remember this often happens when we like a particular entertainer over a long period of time. Can you say Tom Hanks? Sure you can. Okay, so there’s the odd person out there who doesn’t like Tom, and no, I’m not fully comparing Richard Armitage to Tom Hanks although I do think Rich could be more of an everyman than he is currently. But I’m not going to chase that rabbit today.

Perhaps the only other thing that’s changed is I regret a few more things than I did in that linked piece above. I mourn any part I have ever played in quenching the spirit of community. The only salve to my conscience is that anything I have done was not done to create a divide. That’s not my style. Oh, I’m not about keeping peace at the cost of my principles, but I do not thrive on conflict. Not afraid of it either, but I don’t go out looking for it. Somehow that doesn’t matter, ’cause in fandom it tends to find those who manifest themselves very overtly in cyber world. Yep, this just goes with the territory. I also mourn the loss of some friendships. Thankfully, that’s been minimal, but I still feel the loss. A post coming next or soon on these things and some other fallout in fandom. It is not a rant but hopefully some encouragement.

So why am I posting this? I have definitely changed during the time I’ve been running this site but not as much as I thought. It’s true I don’t drool as much these days, but how long can someone drool? Whatever the case with fans, obviously, I just couldn’t keep that up. Occasional drooling is all I’m good for these days, and that should take nothing away from Richard Armitage. He is a fine actor from whom I believe we have not seen his best work.

And that’s why I’m hanging around. One of the reasons anyway. I’m waiting for the day he is again in a fine role — meaning one worthy of his talent.

Forgotten this?

If you’re a regular reader of this blog, probably not since I can’t seem to let that tweet die. John Obert got it, and I’m still basking in that and realize that we still ain’t seen nothing yet. And it may well come from behind the camera when we do.

In the meantime, it’s been fun going some of the distance with Richard Armitage. I’ve never watched an actor’s career so closely and doubt I ever will again. This is an anomaly for me, and I’d like to keep it that way. :D

And speaking of going the distance, I’m going to brag about something, and if you hate it when I talk about my kids, stop reading now. LOL!

I’ve talked about all of my children on this blog including my youngest who is underage but being the least mentioned and not pictured. My older kids have pictures of themselves plastered all over the Net, so it would be pointless to try to keep their photos under wraps. They’re part of that generation who doesn’t think about those things as being a problem. At such time as my youngest reaches majority, she can do the same, but while she’s underage, no way I’m going to put her photo out to be easily snagged.

Onto the bragging.

When I started this blog, I had been a fan of Richard Armitage for over two years, and my son was nearing the end of his junior year of high school and already getting heavily recruited by college athletic directors and coaches. It was quite the learning curve for our family, and I remember SO telling our son, “If you get a scholarship, consider it a job, because they will be paying for your education or most of it.” Mercenary as that sounds, that’s a reality, and it’s good to let a kid know so they don’t go into a college sport with idealistic visions of coaches being their friends. They’re employers first and foremost.

Son is now a senior in college, and he’s done his job and then some. He’s busted his backside with a work ethic that most people only dream about, and it has served him well. He has a GPA hovering around 3.75 and he is an All-American athlete not once but three times with the last time being last November.

For those not familiar, this is a very small group of college athletes in the U.S. Thousands and thousands compete every year, but only a handful in each sport make All-American. The ones who do are at the top of their game, which means they are not only talented but have worked incredibly hard. Just thinking about the training is enough to wear me out. My son trains 48 weeks out of the year. He takes off two weeks after the fall season and two weeks after the spring season. The rest of the time he’s eating a rigid diet, only drinks water, runs 12-15 miles most days, lifts weights, does calisthenics and plyometrics, and oh heck, I don’t know what all. And there are lots of athletes who do this and never make All-American. Some of it is also due to luck. They can’t get sick on the wrong day or have an off day at the wrong time.

But the little bit of luck aside, I’m proud of my son, and I don’t mind talking about it here. He’s done a helluva thing, and it needs to be talked about and talked about, and thankfully, SO and I are not the only ones who will, but we still have to stifle ourselves because we stink with pride about what this boy has done.

Yes, I have a segue to Richard Armitage. It’s coming in the second part of this post.

January 6, 2015
Categories: Fandom, Strike Back . Tags: John Porter, Richard Armitage, screencaps . Author: RAFrenzy . Comments: 7 Comments