This is another 'by the seat of my pants' blog, so don't expect a whole lot of structure here.

I've noticed that quite a few of us here on StarWars.com have what we call a bit of a 'problem'. (You all know who you are.) I've recently heard stories of people who are so obsessed with Star Wars that they actually feel sick or unhappy when they don't get their daily 'fix', however often it is. People are getting extremely worked up when their favorite characters are debased by other bloggers who disagree with them. People are fighting with the mods because they don't get to post their fan-fic. While not all arguments here have anything directly to do with Star Wars itself, the underlying issue is that people disagree, and because some are so set in their obsessive behavior, they don't know how to turn it off when it comes time to have a serious reality-check -- and we all have to deal with the reprocussions. It seems like some people care more about the life of the community than the life that they should be living, out in the real world.

Guys- this sorta thing has to stop. We are a fan club, not a legally bound organization of Those That Must Love Star Wars With Our Soul And Death to Those Who Oppose Us. Back when Episode 2 came out and they had CII, I remember they aired the 'MTV Jedi' on MTV. Kin-Char Bamin, or whoever. You guys remember? I hate to offend him or anyone who likes him, because I'm sure he's a great guy- but this guy had literally let his hobby take over his life. He had estranged his son. He had spent literally hundreds of thousands of dollars on Star Wars merchandise, and he didn't even have a job. His day consisted of browsing the internet and looking at Star Wars stuff.

I don't care what your standpoint is- that is not emotionally healthy. Sure, it's fun to have a hobby, fun to have something to have in common with other fans, fun to collect stuff if you can afford to. But when your hobby takes over your life, when you actually become emotional upon thinking about your first visit to Star Wars in theaters, how can you possibly have enjoyment? It's like the difference between the casual drinker and an alcoholic. One enjoys himself, one destroys himself.

I think it's time for us to take a step back and have a look at just how far we've let our obsession take over. Sure, I'll admit, even I could cut back a little, but I'm not going to force upon you what are and are not aproppriate boundaries for yourself. You need to lay those down on your own terms- decide how far is too far. We all need to remember that Star Wars is escapism, not reality. While we all like to escape, we do need to come back eventually- and sometimes, the nature of your escape will have a direct impact on the condition of the reality of which you return to.

Just some food for thought for us all.

JV out.

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(And if you're really having a hard time, there may be a need for drastic measures.) Enjoy yourselves, and MTFBWY.