I'm
a computer wonk, so I can empathize with Cat when she behaves like a wonk
herself – even if she doesn't realize it.
"Wonk" refers to "1. a student who studies excessively; a
grind; 2. One who studies an issue or topic thoroughly or excessively" (American Heritage Dictionary (thefreedictionary.com). Cat has been a wonk ever since she lost the Miss World title in 2016? Maybe she
has been a wonk all her life. Duh!
Obsessed,
this time only in the sense that she was dedicated to winning not for herself alone
but for all Filipinos.
Especially
because those 104 million Filipinos lost earlier in the Miss World beauty
contest. It was not "It's now or never" but "You haven't seen
the best of me yet!"
It
was also teamwork, as I have pointed out in my earlier 517-word essay,
"The Workhorses of Catriona Gray," 21 December 2018, QuickBytes, blogspot.com).
But this time, I focus on Cat as Team
Captain, even if nobody called her that, not even she.
Stefan
lists "7 Qualities Of Great Team Captains" (22 February 2017, Competitor Spot, competitorspot.com);
I note #5: "They embody the core values of their team." In Cat's
case, there was only one core value: Supremacy.
After the loss in Miss World 2016, Cat was not aiming to be The Best but to be All Excellent.
ANN
says, "One does not have to be the best player on the team to be chosen the
captain," Green Paddle, 10 May
2017, "Qualities Of A Good Team Captain," greenpaddle.com).
Reading that, I'm amused to realize that in the case of Cat, as the Team
Captain, she was not The Best Player
– she was The Only Player!
She
knew, so she had to be Obsessed; and she was Possessed. Obsessed with winning
for her country, Possessed with the knowledge that she had to project the best
of her country, including the best of Catriona
Elisa Magnayon Gray, an extraordinary girl Miss Universe had never seen
before.
Barbie Salvador-Muhlach says (20 December 2018, "ANALYSIS:
7 Reasons Why Catriona Gray Conquered The Universe," ABS-CBN News, newsprod.abs-cbnnews.com):
Pageantry is all about showmanship. And Gray
surely delivered in this part. Every piece in her wardrobe was well thought of
-- from her arrival clothes that were inspired by the host country, Thailand,
to her national costume and her trendsetting, patriotic ear cuffs.
I
say, "Pageantry is also
showmanship." My collected notes of 27,000 words on her tell me Cat is a
showgirl. She is equally a wonk, like I said earlier – she obsesses on an
issue, topic, subject, and object. So, she obsesses on overall presentation: clothes,
national costume, ear cuffs, "lava walk" and "slow-mo twirl."
Everything. Including, as Miss Barbie says, "She truly did the research on
today's important issues." Yes, imagining questions, intuiting answers.
"I want to represent the Philippines in all
forms," she said (Atom Pornel, 17 December 2018, "Catriona Gray Champions
Filipino Artistry In Miss Universe Pageant," Good News Pilipinas, goodnewspilipinas.com). Minding Mission Possible, she formed her own team. Obsessing with everything with her
own team.
A magnificent obsession!517 revised in a few parts 24 December 2018
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