What's Your Passion & Why

[Eva Elisabeth]

It's like with the entire "Lincoln" story and topic - you start reading very innocent, just a little bit, and the more you read the more you want to learn and know in all directions...it pulls you. Or: "way leads on to way".
I admit, before I joined the forum, my interest in the assassination did not surpass the very basics. A. Lincoln's life, his politics and era were much more fascinating (and still are my main focus), it was sad enough that the tragedy happened, and JWB was not the only one who wished him dead, so it was not an unexpected deed at all.
What I've always found fascinating was the private tragedy of the Rathbones' that was triggered by the assassination.
When I joined the forum I began to think more about the assassination, and my imagination became somewhat more visual. I realized what a theatrical deed it was - a real (tragic) performance. And I think the sad "success" depended - despite all preparations - a lot on chance. Many things could have gone wrong (Maj. Rathbone could have overpowered JWB, the jump could have ended differently, someone of the actors could have stopped JWB..., there were so many people).
And may I say, Mike's (brtmchl) book fueld my interest in the escape.

In general, the "why" makes such questions rather difficult! There are so many reasons, but in the very end...I find it difficult to define and fix fascination. It's intrinsic.