My Idol

James Dean has been my idol since I was maybe ten or eleven years old. I remember the first time I became aware of this amazing actor. I was home alone flipping through the television stations when I fell upon the A&E Movie Classics station. "Rebel Without A Cause" was just beginning. Here was this guy lying on the ground watching this silly wind up monkey jittering across the ground banging metal cymbals together. I was so amazed by the vulnerability in his eyes and that red jacket. I watched the entire movie and from that point I was hooked. I told my mother about this movie I watched and how amazing this actor was. She just looked at me with surprise and said, "What movie was that?" She was so amazed at how I came to love this movie made way before my time. I sometimes wonder if that is when my movie and TV obsession was born. I have come to collect tons of James Dean paraphernalia from posters to paintings, from charms to dolls, and from belt buckles to every DVD and vhs with James Dean in it. I will always be thankful for that boring day when I sat at home and found an inspiration.