It's over. After 10 years of watching, reading, basking in the wonderment of the magical world of wizardry, my biggest childhood love is ending...
I was a late starter. When I was 11, I walked in the room where my little brother was watching some movie I didn't recognize. I stood there for a few minutes... then sat for a couple of hours.
"What is this?"
"Harry Potter."
And I was hooked. I watched as a vicious three-headed dog attacked three kids my age. Life-size chess games. A new game played in the air on broomsticks. A greasy-haired evil looking man seemingly holding a grudge against his own student. A grandfatherly headmaster. And three best friends who started with nothing in common growing to be so very close.
The story was interesting with very little effort. The movie ended and it seemed easy enough. There wasn't really any question about loose ends or a sequel. Then my tiny 6 year old brother informed me there was another in the works. I had heard of the book, but did not think much of them.
I got the first two for Christmas. After a few chapters I decided I was more excited to know what happened next having already seen the first movie. On to the Chamber I went. It was awesome.
For the following ten years I got the new book as soon as I could. Midnight release? I actually got to once. Movie premieres? If at all possible, I was there at midnight. I couldn't resist. They were addicting. These characters advanced along every year with me. Their stories, their lives, were mine. To this day I defend them as if they were my own friends. Someone says "Harry Potter is stupid." Oh, well let me tell you 193793208 reasons why you are hellaciously WRONG. Unlike other types of fiction overwhelmed with crazed fanatics, HP fans are loyal, honest people who go beyond just loving and supporting the series. It's become a way of life. HP isn't just children's literature. Yes, that is who it is directed at initially, but I have met more adults who read and loved the books than children. And the best part is one day I'll read them to my kids, too and they'll grow up loving them as well. These stories aren't one that will die out after this generation because already there are younger generations picking up on them. This is the sole piece of literature I can say I have consistently loved for over a decade. That's not something you hear every day.
In addition to being a heck of a story, it's well written, too. The writing is vivid, descriptive, alive. Rowling created a story millions of people want to read and will read over and over because it isn't written to people who are dumb. It's written in a way to keep your senses working and your mind active. Then the movies come and just further enhance the world you've designed in your imagination.
I've seen certain children not allowed to watch/read HP because it's witchcraft. I've never understood that. I get those people don't believe in witchcraft and don't want their kids to, but it's so much more than that. There is magic in this world and these stories give readers/viewers a new light to see things. No one said taking part in the series meant you had to believe in witchcraft or wizardry. But also, when I see it in that context it makes me think of it in a negative fashion and that is not how the story makes it. It's a wonderful thing that any average person can enjoy. Not the spells or enchantments or curses. The magic inside each and every person. That spark in your eye, that glimmer of hope on the horizon. Those are the things these stories instilled in me. I'm not gonna go hexing people. What the heck is that? Have you actually given them a chance? It's a fabulous piece of fiction. It's not a religion. Give it a chance.
For ten years I've watched and waited patiently for new books or movies. Ten years of loving characters I knew personally. We'd done everything together. We found a basilisk, snakes, dragons, bullies, dark magic, and Lord Voldemort himself. I've been there through it all. Their adventures were my adventures. And now I sit here, having just finished my last bit of the tale. The very last Harry Potter movie I will ever get to go to a premiere for. And I feel good. No loose ends. No more questions. It's perfect. I was worried I would feel sad to watch it end. And for a second I did... before the movie even started.
As I watched the movie progress and then end, I didn't feel sad. I didn't feel lost or upset it was over. Because it's not. At the end of the day I have eight movies I can re-live. I have seven books I can venture. And with the ending we are given, it's not really an ending. It's another beginning. And while no, there won't be any new movies or books about this new beginning I'm referring to, I once again felt that connection. These characters I know and love and have been friends with half my life are doing what I'm doing, still. So I watch and feel even more a part of the adventure. Cause really, the adventure is just beginning.
Thank you, Ms. Rowling. You have held my hand through a decade of life. Even though it's time to let me go, I'm glad to know you'll always still be there when I need you.
Mischief Managed.
~Jasmine Felicia Davis Mallet~
P.S. I love being on the east coast where I get to see movies an hour before my Central Time Zone friends. *devilish grin*
Friday, July 15, 2011
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
I want to take the term "raging hormones" and shuck it from the English language. I hate it. If I could take a phrase and stab it with a paring knife repeatedly, until there was nothing left but a black and blue, bloodless shrivel of nothingness, I would. I HATE it. HATE.
Yes. It's true. I've used the saying before. I'll probably use it again. But each time it happens a little piece of me dies, along with the little puppy the good Lord killed for me allowing myself to use the biggest cliche in America to excuse someone's behavior. I get it. You're a teenager with an under-developed brain and chemicals shooting throughout your little not yet fully formed body making it difficult for you to make smart decisions. You're a pregnant woman trying to grow an infant in your lower abdomen while dealing with the stupidity of the American population on a daily basis where strangers want to touch your belly and ask all kinds of personal questions that are absolutely none of their business.
We got it. You're hormone-y. Ok.
To all you budding sprouts of a teenager: Stop being dumb. Sure, sometimes stupid opportunities arise. But seriously. Being emotional and dealing with pressure should not erase the fact that you do indeed have a brain, albeit still developing. You know what you're doing. If it's something that would make your mom and/or dad yell at you, the answer is no. Don't do it. It's not that hard. Been there. Done that. Bought a ton of t-shirts. (They're pretty much all I wore up until the age of 19.) If I managed to go 18 years without smoking a cigarette (or marijuana or doing any other kind of drug), drinking an alcoholic beverage, getting pregnant or an STD while living in the biggest drug selling neighborhood in the county, so can you. Suck it up and stop being an idiot.
To all you pregnant ladies: No. I have not been pregnant yet. So no, I cannot speak from experience. No I do not know the full intricacies of the emotional task it is to mother a child. But someday I hope to. And I've decided ahead of time I'm gonna be the meanest mother-to-be on the planet.
"Do I know you? No? Are you touching my stomach? Ok, well you're gonna lose an effing hand." *Bam* Out comes my pocket knife.
I don't like being touched now. I sure as heck don't want your grimy, calloused hands on my protruding stomach where my child resides.
I just read an article about the 10 things not to ask pregnant women. It was ridiculous. One, because most of the items were not in fact questions, but statements people make towards pregnant women. Watch the way you title, chica. Two, yes I've heard each and every one of the questions (or statements) mentioned, and yes, I've wondered why people ask (or state) them when they are so clearly stupid, personal topics that are not in fact, any of your business.
You wanna know why people keep asking these same stupid questions? Cause you keep answering them. Want it to stop? Tell them like it is. When those experienced parents go out of their way to tell you to enjoy your sleep while you can get it, tell them in your most honest tone, "Well clearly, I mean you look like you haven't slept at all in the past seven years you've been raising that hellian of yours. You really should do something about those bags under your eyes." I mean really? Come on. If you're sick of them saying stupid things, reply quickly and witty so they know how dumb you think they sound and they will shut up. Or keep on because they can't take a hint in which case I'd probably drop them from my Facebook friends anyway.
Like I said. I'm gonna be the mean one. And I don't care. And it's not gonna be because of any hormones. It's gonna be because I am over the nosy neighbor over the fence routine. And I'm gonna be mean not because of a pregnancy, but because I am over stupidity and am trying to remove it from my life.
Ugh. Dumb.
But yes, my point is I don't get why people blame their pregnancy moods on the hormones. If people are being so stupid when it comes to your carrying a child, don't you have every right in the world to be mean/angry? Sure, there are tears that go along with it, too, and happiness galore, but the happiness is based on your excitement for being a mom. The tears are because there's a lot going on in a short period of time and you have a lot to handle. As girls, we get emotional. (To which we again here that horrid term "raging hormones") But that's a stressful time and so sometimes, tears are gonna fall. Or all the time. (Again, lots of stuff happening here.) Every single emotion I see in pregnant women seems totally justified to me. Screw hormones. Let that emotional roller coaster fly. Stop trying to make an excuse for it. It's unnecessary.
*sigh*
Ok.
Also in that afore-mentioned article, there was one point I didn't understand. The author was carrying twins. She said anytime anyone asked if twins ran in her family it meant they were asking if she conceived naturally or with fertility drugs or other such assistance. I've asked that one before. And it has nothing to do with that. I have always been intrigued by twins. Maybe that's just me. But my two oldest friends are twins and with a lifetime of knowing them and marrying their older brother, I'm just intrigued when people say they're carrying twins to see if it's common in their family or if they are a cool exception to the genes. I always kind of thought of it as seeing if my chances of having twins were still ok. Now if you're carrying sextuplets, yes, I'll probably wonder. But twins? No. I've known way too many for that thought to cross my mind.
Geez, way to be a rude, presumptuous pregnant woman.
Guess it's those raging hormones...
:)
Yes. It's true. I've used the saying before. I'll probably use it again. But each time it happens a little piece of me dies, along with the little puppy the good Lord killed for me allowing myself to use the biggest cliche in America to excuse someone's behavior. I get it. You're a teenager with an under-developed brain and chemicals shooting throughout your little not yet fully formed body making it difficult for you to make smart decisions. You're a pregnant woman trying to grow an infant in your lower abdomen while dealing with the stupidity of the American population on a daily basis where strangers want to touch your belly and ask all kinds of personal questions that are absolutely none of their business.
We got it. You're hormone-y. Ok.
To all you budding sprouts of a teenager: Stop being dumb. Sure, sometimes stupid opportunities arise. But seriously. Being emotional and dealing with pressure should not erase the fact that you do indeed have a brain, albeit still developing. You know what you're doing. If it's something that would make your mom and/or dad yell at you, the answer is no. Don't do it. It's not that hard. Been there. Done that. Bought a ton of t-shirts. (They're pretty much all I wore up until the age of 19.) If I managed to go 18 years without smoking a cigarette (or marijuana or doing any other kind of drug), drinking an alcoholic beverage, getting pregnant or an STD while living in the biggest drug selling neighborhood in the county, so can you. Suck it up and stop being an idiot.
To all you pregnant ladies: No. I have not been pregnant yet. So no, I cannot speak from experience. No I do not know the full intricacies of the emotional task it is to mother a child. But someday I hope to. And I've decided ahead of time I'm gonna be the meanest mother-to-be on the planet.
"Do I know you? No? Are you touching my stomach? Ok, well you're gonna lose an effing hand." *Bam* Out comes my pocket knife.
I don't like being touched now. I sure as heck don't want your grimy, calloused hands on my protruding stomach where my child resides.
I just read an article about the 10 things not to ask pregnant women. It was ridiculous. One, because most of the items were not in fact questions, but statements people make towards pregnant women. Watch the way you title, chica. Two, yes I've heard each and every one of the questions (or statements) mentioned, and yes, I've wondered why people ask (or state) them when they are so clearly stupid, personal topics that are not in fact, any of your business.
You wanna know why people keep asking these same stupid questions? Cause you keep answering them. Want it to stop? Tell them like it is. When those experienced parents go out of their way to tell you to enjoy your sleep while you can get it, tell them in your most honest tone, "Well clearly, I mean you look like you haven't slept at all in the past seven years you've been raising that hellian of yours. You really should do something about those bags under your eyes." I mean really? Come on. If you're sick of them saying stupid things, reply quickly and witty so they know how dumb you think they sound and they will shut up. Or keep on because they can't take a hint in which case I'd probably drop them from my Facebook friends anyway.
Like I said. I'm gonna be the mean one. And I don't care. And it's not gonna be because of any hormones. It's gonna be because I am over the nosy neighbor over the fence routine. And I'm gonna be mean not because of a pregnancy, but because I am over stupidity and am trying to remove it from my life.
Ugh. Dumb.
But yes, my point is I don't get why people blame their pregnancy moods on the hormones. If people are being so stupid when it comes to your carrying a child, don't you have every right in the world to be mean/angry? Sure, there are tears that go along with it, too, and happiness galore, but the happiness is based on your excitement for being a mom. The tears are because there's a lot going on in a short period of time and you have a lot to handle. As girls, we get emotional. (To which we again here that horrid term "raging hormones") But that's a stressful time and so sometimes, tears are gonna fall. Or all the time. (Again, lots of stuff happening here.) Every single emotion I see in pregnant women seems totally justified to me. Screw hormones. Let that emotional roller coaster fly. Stop trying to make an excuse for it. It's unnecessary.
*sigh*
Ok.
Also in that afore-mentioned article, there was one point I didn't understand. The author was carrying twins. She said anytime anyone asked if twins ran in her family it meant they were asking if she conceived naturally or with fertility drugs or other such assistance. I've asked that one before. And it has nothing to do with that. I have always been intrigued by twins. Maybe that's just me. But my two oldest friends are twins and with a lifetime of knowing them and marrying their older brother, I'm just intrigued when people say they're carrying twins to see if it's common in their family or if they are a cool exception to the genes. I always kind of thought of it as seeing if my chances of having twins were still ok. Now if you're carrying sextuplets, yes, I'll probably wonder. But twins? No. I've known way too many for that thought to cross my mind.
Geez, way to be a rude, presumptuous pregnant woman.
Guess it's those raging hormones...
:)
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