[Leica] Leicamania Anonymous

[D Khong <dkhong@pacific.net.sg>]

Friends

After all these years of acquiring and using Leica gear, I have come to the
conclusion that we all suffer from an irreversible disease condition which
can only be totally cured when every bit of substance stamped with the
words "Leitz" and "Leica" has been purged from our homes, office or system.
Let me explain.

Do you remember when you first acquired that much coveted Leica camera and
one lens?  What happened after that was a gradual and subtle continual
acquisition of more cameras and more lenses and more accessories. The
accessory part, which is the cheapest of the three components, is
particularly dangerous because even the poor and semi-destitute can now
acquire this disease. What happens next? As the acquisitions start to mount
and get out of hand, your spouse notices the "junk" that you bring home and
starts nagging. So you start to squirrel the surplus stuffs into your
office, your secretary's drawer, your friend's locker, and at your friendly
photo dealer. This collecting habit, for some strange reason, is built into
the mental ROM chip of Man. They start off young with marbles and picture
cards, then coins and stamps, antigues and jewellery (diamonds are a
woman's best friend and the husband's worst nightmare!), watches, pens and
cameras, etc etc etc..  Some people in certain cultures collect wives but I
shall not go off-topic and digress into that subject.

One good thing about collecting cameras is that you can always use what you
collect to take pictures. My good friend who is a wise man and an excellent
family physician often says, "No man has ever caught AIDS by playing with
cameras." Wives seem to get this message. But they still think that their
men are wasting their money. There are very very few couples where both are
crazy about Leicas and I have only met one such pair so far.

There is currently no group therapy for this disease. Unlike alcoholic
anonymous where addicts can ventilate and share their progress, any form of
Leicamania Anonymous get together can only end up aggravating the disease
condition. Members who hear what the others have to confess about their
latest acquisition will leave the session with an urgent need to buy those
same items. Now you know why there is only one cure for the disease.  May
God help us.

Dan K.
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                 Beware of the Barreness of a Busy Life.
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