Gone Again!

Something I find interesting about people is how they tend to assume that everyone will enjoy the interests that they have developped in their own lives, and thus they must share about their own passion ad infitum. This is more than just the occasional story, or answering specific questions. I'm talking about the people who relate everything to this particular area in their life, and everything they talk about revolves around that event/hobby/whatever.
The best example I can give you is the one that I have run into the most often, at least in the last few years. I've met quite a few people in college who go to camp every summer (by now they are all counsellors), and as near as I can tell, that is the only time they are happy. I assume this because they will spend all of their time talking about their camp, and finding people who have gone to their camp, or to other camps, and they are just so enthusiastic about it. It is almost like they are not able to enjoy anything besides camp, and they act as though everyone else feels the same way. They tell you stories about their campers and about the games they have led, and they seem to expect you to be extremely excited and entertained. Now, don't get me wrong. I have nothing against camps. I attended one summer, and was a counsellor for two more summers, and I enjoyed myself. But it is not something that I bother to think about all that much, and it doesn't excite me.
And this is just one example. There are many others out there. And it's not really the excitement and constant story telling that get to me. It's more the obsessive enthusiasm and the almost superior attitude that is related in that enthusiasm. For example, when I say that I don't like peanut butter, most people are inclined to react with shock and almost horror. "How can you not like peanut butter?" they ask, amazed that anyone could ever utter such a sentence with a straight face (incidently, the answer I give to this question is "Well, it mostly has to do with the flavour, but it's also the texture and aroma). People can't imagine how someone can not like peanut butter, something that they enjoy completely, and thus everyone must enjoy it. It has led me almost wish I was allergic to peanuts, because then it would be much easier to explain. But people just seem unable to accept that I don't like peanut butter.
It's the same with music. If you don't like a band that everyone else likes, then those people are shocked at your taste in music. They will play a song for you and just expect you to be blown away by it, and you don't really care all that much. In their mind there is nothing, or little, better than this band and/or song and they just can't quite fathom how someone can't like it. It's a phenomenon more common with popular things (try saying you don't like U2 around certain people, and you'll understand what I mean)(I do like U2, but I understand that some people don't. Other people aren't quite so understanding). Or the "intellectual set" can get this way too. They will eschew certain things because they are "lowbrow" and "beneath them", and seem unable to understand how anyone can enjoy such base entertainment. It seems very snobby.
Or how about this one: everyone who comes to Calgary, or just Alberta in general, spends a great deal of time talking about how great the mountains are and how awesome it is to be living so near to them. They are so enthusiastic and dead certain that everyone is of the same opinion that I don't really have the heart to tell them that I am not a huge mountain fan. I like them fine, I think they look very cool. But they are really not too exciting. My scenery of preference is forest and more often, prairie. I love the huge sky stretching out before me, and sunset on the prairies is frankly the most awesome thing I have ever seen. If you don't agree, that's fine. But that's my preference.
Anyhoo, that's my rant for the day. To anyone who is completely devoted to the story of James and his time travelling friends, I must apologise again. On Wednesday morning (actually noon) I am flying out to Vancouver for at least a week, and possibly longer. Therefore, at least week will not be updated, and maybe two. We'll see how long I'm gone.
Also, tomorrow is the first time I have ever flown. I'm excited. I should probably sleep now. ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ