Re: [Leica] Leicaholics Anonymous

["Dan Post" <dpost@triad.rr.com>]

"Hi! My name is Dan P., and I am a Leicaholic"
Goup's desultry reply, "Hi, Dan...."
Other Dan, what do you think this LUG is all about? There is even a 12 step
program that is mentioned occasionally... the only problem is that all
twelve steps involve getting even MORE Leica gear!
I have had SOME improvement- I have gone from nearly a dozen Leicas, to a
kit with an M6, IIIa and an SL. I hope to trim it even a little more...
since I am selling the SL.
It's difficult, but you really have to decide at some point whether to
acquire with the avarice that only a Leicaholic can display, or try to
control it, and actually get out and USE the darn things!
As a recovering Leicaholic, I am actually learning HOW to use the cameras I
have. I no longer cringe when someone says, "Hey! That's a neat camera...can
I see it?"
I actually let some of them hold mine, and if I have been heavily medicated
that morning or afternoon, I might even let them look through the viewfinder
or even trip the shutter!
I also find that I am less inclined to reply to the knock at my Inner Santum
with a, " I vant to alone...."; I am actually becoming a better person being
on the LUG.
Almost normal, now.
Dan ( The aliens quit taking me when I started to carry a Leica!) Post

- ----- Original Message -----
From: D Khong <dkhong@pacific.net.sg>
To: <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us>
Sent: Saturday, June 24, 2000 11:39 PM
Subject: [Leica] Leicamania Anonymous


> 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.
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------
>                  Beware of the Barreness of a Busy Life.
> =========================================================================
>
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>
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