After that summer, when I bought countless magazine articles about Hanson, school came all too fast. I tried to keep up talking openly about Hanson but I got more weird looks than it was worth. Eventually not many people would talk to me altogether. Maybe I did something wrong by liking who I liked, but I don't believe I did.
Eighth grade was one of the loneliest years of my life. I don't think Hanson was the only reason the people who I thought to be my best friends ignored me, but it seems like a definite contributing factor. My ex boyfriend, who had been in the car the first time I heard MMMBop, used my favorite band as a way to make fun of me to his friends. I think it was some kind of Hitler type thing, you know, the more they hear how horrible someone is, the more they believe it. Everyone made fun of me behind my back. I cried myself to sleep at least once a week.
I don't really blame anyone for that horrendous year. If they were trying to make me like Hanson less it certainly did not work. If anything, the boys [notice I don't say men] in my grade only made me like Hanson more. No matter how snobby my ex best friends were being, I could always rely on Hanson. Granted, I didn't know them so they were easier to have a crush on. I watched every television appearance, every new video that came out, and even bought some of the books.
I did have one wonderful awesome person at Severn school that I could rely on: Emily, this is where you come in. Before school started I found out that Emily liked Hanson too, although her favorite was Isaac, not Taylor. I was delighted: a friend I could actually relate too that I didn't keep in touch with only through email!!! Soon we became known as the Hanson girls. I don't think anybody really understood our obsession unless they like Hanson themselves. Certainly no one can fathom why we watched Hanson's long form video "Tulsa, Tokyo,and the Middle of Nowhere" dozens of times. Or why we stay up to record every tv appearance. Even though she's Jewish, Emily bought the Christmas album, Snowed In. We really ARE obsessed, Em.
Emily and I's friendship grew far beyond Hanson though. Together we always had so much fun. In January of 1998, we decided to make our own Hanson webpage. It took awhile to figure out how, but we did, and SO here it is, July 23, 1998, and I still love Hanson.
Kind of unbelievable. I've never liked anything this long, save my friends and Oreo cheesecake. My obsession has been with me over a year. It's strange, but I feel like they have been with me through a lot. Their music has helped me through some really bad times, but it's more than that. IT'Z their talent and personality that's really special to me.
I don't want this to sound like some long drawn out excuse of why I like Hanson, because it isn't. It wasn't just varied events that made me the die hard Hanson fan I am today. Simply three brothers named Clarke Isaac, Jordan Taylor, and Zachary Walker, their interaction with each other and the obvious love and respect you see leads me to believe that they are special, special people, not just musically talented, but also socially talented as well. They've had a lot of influence on me.
I love them for it.
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