I have always been star-struck. I'm not sure when it began. But as far as I can remember I was fascinated with celebrities.
Growing up with three brothers and my parents in Daytona Beach, we were always a big television family watching all the classics from "All in the Family," "Sanford and Son," "The Jeffersons," "Happy Days," "Taxi" and "M*A*S*H," to name a few.
Soaps though have always been a part of my life since before high school - more than 20 years ago- when I'd rush home to watch "General Hospital" with my mom and also try to catch parts of "One Life to Live."
It's a way to escape from the stresses of the "real world."
Through my job as a reporter at various newspapers, I've always been eager to step up to cover stars whether it was Henry Winkler (The Fonz) on my day off at a hospital fundraiser in Winter Haven or sitting in Bo Diddley's camper in the early 1990s as he ate barbecue. Soon after, I went next door to Carl Perkins' trailer to talk with him prior to a joint fundraiser where they performed in Clay County.
And when no one else wanted to cover the opening of Planet Hollywood in Orlando in the 1990s, I was there to take photos for The Ledger in Lakeland with a fellow reporter. I saw a host of celebrities on the red carpet and got within arm's reach of Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, Demi Moore and Bruce Willis at a media conference.
In 2002, I was able to meet an old-time soap favorite -- Ingo Rademacher, "Jax" of "General Hospital" for an article I wrote where he sang for his fans in West Palm Beach.
So when I saw advertisements for ABC Super Soap Weekend, I jumped at the chance to write about it. I'm not shy to admit that I watch "General Hospital" nightly on Soapnet.com. When time permits and I'm not watching "Grey's Anatomy," "Desperate Housewives," "Ugly Betty" or another prime time show, I also try to catch "All My Children" and "One Life to Live."
Yes, I've taken my fair share of teasing from family and friends. "Get a life." "Soaps are so fake." "Soaps are for girls." ETC. ETC. But now some of those same friends are watching Grey's and Desperate Housewives. Yes, soaps have a reputation for killing people off and then the character comes back to life, but they also touch on major issues from AIDS and mental illness to "All My Children" recently airing stories of true Iraq veterans injured during the war.
My dad always says celebrities bleed red just like anyone else or they put their pants on one leg at a time like everyone else. True. They have the same problems as everyone else, but for some reason they are put on a pedestal and we just can't help watching them.
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