Crush...

Most girls never get over their first crush. I'm no exception.

But rather than smiling a goofy grin while watching an episode of "Charles in Charge" or romantically daydreaming while listening to NKOTB, my first crush was a glimpse of gray, viewed in black and white.

His name was Atticus. Atticus Finch. As portrayed by Gregory Peck and I was in love.

I must have watched To Kill a Mockingbird dozens of times. I sat, eyes glued to the screen, as Atticus defended an innocent man, in spite of small town prejudice and persecution.

His lesson: "If you can learn a simple trick, Scout, you'll get along a lot better with all kinds of folks. You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view, until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it." Listening to it, understanding it has had a long-term effect on how I view the world. That simple phrase encouraged me to ask questions, to try to understand different points of view.

I'm always a sucker for the champion of the underdog. And when that champion has a deep, gravely voice and cleft in his chin...well...I'm a puddle.

Oddly enough, it's taken me this long to actually read the novel.

I'm in love all over again. Just as today's movies don't nearly do justice to the books, To Kill a Mockingbird as a novel is vastly superior to the movie.

I'm crushing all over again. I finished it. Then immediately started re-reading it.

Chad's not too concerned considering the object of my heart palpitations is a fictional literary character.