In highschool and way before, there seemed to be this thing among girls to crush over Brad Pitt or I don't even know who. Whoever it was, they were seen to be "attractive." I missed that. I mean I was very "girly" up to a point, don't get me wrong, but it stopped fairly early. The pink everything, the closet full of dresses and the Barbies took a permanent leave. In the fifth grade my aunt gave me Abbey Road for a gift, and from then on I was out to display the "hippie' persona of what I felt through the hours I spent listening and not looking at some "hot" poster.

I fell madly in love with music. I was to indulge early on in The Beatles and everything else from the sixties. Eventually I paved my way on to Bob. The unique voice, the head of hair that just rolled out of bed, and the sheer genius behind ever word he muttered.

I went to FYE music store in Olathe, Kansas and picked up a copy of the Essential Dylan (receiving two copies of a promo "in the studio" picture). After that I was obsessed, in love, and everything else that one could be over music and an artist. I lived, ate, and slept with it. While the Greatest Hits had been sitting around with the rest of the collection I had, it was the Essential that took it to another level.

I don't how many times I played those discs, but I know that my life has not been the same since. It's like life had finally started.

The next thing I remember discovering is my favorite album Blonde on Blonde. I was in highschool sitting on the bed with a closed bedroom door. The light was on, and I was doing my Math homework...supposedly. However, even with the book and paper in front of me, I had my disc player and headphones. Thus no sound escaped from my room. I put the disc in for a first spin, and suddenly my Math didn't seem so important. As I rolled through songs like Visions I just began to think, "oh shit."

After that, the CD's got purchased one at a time or sometimes two or three at a time...until eventually they had all been acquired.

To me, that initial stage in the very beginning is the most exciting time. Slowly discovering who Dylan was and what the music was he made. It blew my mind. It still does.

While it is the albums that I live for, if I hear of a curly-haired, skinny legged, cowboy-boot-wearing guy hanging around downtown, I will undoubtedly run down to check, just in case. Dylan the artist is someone I am still discovering.

I hope my passion as it is similar to others continues in the quest for every inspired lyric, and fast or slow moving song.