Victoria GricksAfter grabbing my textbook and binder from my locker, I slammed the door shut and made sure the lock was secure. Yes, I was one of those nerds who believed that the entire world wanted to steal my stuff and sell it on eBay. I was in high school. Give me a break.

Anyway, I squeezed through the crowd of students and eventually managed to find a path through the hallway. It took me several minutes, but I made it to the classroom just as the bell rang.

I took a seat at my desk and immediately opened my notebook to where I had last stopped taking notes. As soon as I was done writing the date at the top of my paper, I looked up and noticed the television at the front of the room.

Shaking my head, I closed my notebook and put it on the floor next to my desk. I had forgotten that we were watching a movie that day. I guess I didn’t need to kill myself to make it across the school in three minutes. Oh well.

A few seconds later, my teacher walked in with a VHS in her hand. Without saying a word, she put it in the VCR and pressed play. And with that, my fetish began.

You’re probably wondering what movie we watched, so I’ll give you some hints. It came out in 1990, starred Kevin Costner and is considered a western. OK, I doubt you have any idea what I’m talking about, so I’ll just tell you. Ever heard of “Dances with Wolves”?

I don’t have time to give you a rundown of the plot, so if you really want to know what it’s about, look it up online. I will tell you, however, that it is the cause of my infatuation with Native American culture.

Now, if I can admit my secret obsession, why can’t you? There is no point in trying to hide anything about yourself. We all have little quirks that add to our personalities and make us who we are. And if you can acknowledge that and stand by it, then you’re a step above those who can’t.

For once in your life, stop trying to pretend like there’s nothing unusual or different about you. So what if you think Disney movies are the best? (I would agree with you!) Who cares if you still collect Pokémon cards? (I never threw mine away!)

Be proud of who you are, because you have no one to please except yourself.