I was completely captivated by Project Runway this year. Being the introspective guy that I am, I had to ask myself how could I fall in love with something that I don’t understand at all?

Fashion perplexes me, especially this fashion forward stuff. The judge’s critiques are over my head. Then again, part of the reason I enjoy Hawai’i is that I don’t have to wear shoes anymore. And I am proud of the mud stains and rips in my hiking clothes for the validation they give me. Fashion, in a professional sense, is something that I don’t really think about.

But if I had to pin it down, I am compelled by Project Runway because it is a real and elegant way of testing and channelling people’s passions. This isn’t a show with Joe Fratboy sneering in the confessional “I’m not here to make friends, I’m here to win”…. this contrived challenge. No million dollar prize here because you ate 10 pounds of sheep eyeballs faster than anyone else while dangling from the side of a building. It takes a very real aspiration, fashion design, and challenges it. “You want to be a world renown fashion designer? Fine make me a dress. Maybe you’re not as good as you think you are.”

I certainly long for that in what I do. I love nature, I love animals, I love the interactions between humans and their environment. What talent can I test to see if I am as good as I think I am? What’s my elegant cocktail dress?

Project Runway is reality tv at its best. The cast of characters this season was great too. Congratulations Gretchen! I’m envious that you have been tested in a way I can only dream of.