Chasing the Next Great Obsession

From Harry Potter to Reality: Where Did My Teenage Passions Go?

I was 13 when on the first Amazon Great Indian Festival sale, my cousin brought the Harry Potter box set for me, apparently at a great price. Of course, I had heard of Harry Potter before, but it had always felt otherworldly. 13-year-old Priyal, even with her colorful imagination, couldn’t imagine a world outside her immediate life, let alone a fantastical universe waiting for her. So the box set collected dust for a while, and I for the longest time put off reading it because why would anyone read for fun? NCERT taught me that words don't make sense and numbers were fun.

Eventually, I ran out of things to do and picked up the first book. Minutes became hours, and I was screaming, crying, and being scared for these three characters who felt like old friends. For someone who had never read a book before, it took me a week to finish reading the full series.

And just like that, the series became my first obsession. The Harry Potter phase evolved into the Hunger Games phase, or the One Direction phase, or the Vampire Diaries phase, or embarrassingly enough, the Team 10 phase, and so on.

I’m not 13 anymore, far from it, but I can’t help but wonder if I will ever feel that passion again.

As an adult, the world feels… different. Responsibilities stack up like unread books on a nightstand. Deadlines overshadow delightful discoveries. My days are no longer dictated by the urgent need to know what happens next in a wizarding duel or a dystopian rebellion. Instead, they're filled with the urgent need to finish that assignment due at midnight and figure out if I had enough protein today.

That intense, all-consuming fascination of my teenage years seems to have faded, replaced by a more measured appreciation. I still enjoy stories, music, and new experiences, but rarely do they ignite that same devotion that had me staying up all night, losing myself in every last detail. Is it simply a byproduct of growing up, a natural progression? Or have I somehow lost the capacity to fall head over heels for something new?

Part of me suspects it's about the unfiltered absorption that comes with being young. When you’re 13, you have fewer pre-conceived notions, fewer past experiences to compare against, and a wider-open heart to simply fall into something. There’s a certain purity to that first love – be it for a book, a band, or a YouTube squad. As we age, we become more discerning, perhaps even a little cynical. We’ve seen enough plot twists and heard enough catchy choruses to instinctively know the tropes. The magic, in a way, is less potent because we understand some of its mechanics.

But then, I also wonder if it’s a matter of opportunity and intentionality. As a kid, finding an obsession often felt accidental, a happy collision of boredom and a new stimulus. Now, with so many demands on my time and attention, I have to actively seek out things that might spark that joy. It's less about stumbling upon a hidden gem and more about digging for it. Do I give new things the same unreserved attention I once did? Or am I too quick to judge, too eager to move on if something doesn't immediately grab me?

Perhaps the challenge isn’t about replicating the exact feeling of being 13, but rather finding new ways to engage with passion. Maybe the obsessions of adulthood are quieter, more nuanced. They might not manifest as posters plastered across my wall or hours spent re-reading fan theories. Instead, they could be the deep dive into a new skill, the sustained dedication to a creative project, or the profound connection with a cause. The burning intensity might have mellowed into a steady glow, but a glow nonetheless.

So, the quest continues. I may not be waiting for an owl to deliver my Hogwarts letter anymore, but I'm still curious about what new world or idea might next capture my imagination. What about you? Have you found a new obsession that rivals your teenage passions, or are you still searching for that elusive spark?