That's right people. Words of wisdom straight from Dumbledore in the movie/book Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.
Maybe this is a strange thing to use as a marker in one's life, but Harry Potter and the infamous ABC family Harry Potter Weekends have decorated my life since I was in elementary school. Actually, I just looked it up, and the first book was published in 1997. I was 8. And yes, as every other child in my school, I eagerly awaited the release of each book, and am still, at age 22, awaiting the final movie.
I have eaten "Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans," the Jelly Belly spin off with flavors ranging from vomit to ear wax. I've owned Harry Potter folders, notebooks and pencils. I've played video games and computer games. Not to mention the hours spent reading and rereading the books themselves.
And now I sit here on my couch, watching what I guess to be my 8th Harry Potter weekend in 4 years of college. I made an observation once that you can tell when Harry Potter Weekend is taking place. Everyone you know is making random Harry Potter references and you can understand them only because you too were just watching the movies.
I feel like I've aged along with the characters. For Harry and his friends, life gets darker and more challenging as the saga continues. Enemies are made, lessons are learned, and character is built. Especially after I started living by myself, I began to draw parallels between my life and the world of Hogwarts every Harry Potter Weekend.
When I'm up late, studying or writing a paper, I wonder how Hermione did it- studying and working, always to her best, and still balancing her social life? When I'm laughing so hard that tears come to my eyes, I wonder if Fred and George, the Weasley twins, laughed this hard during all their pranks. When I've had bad experiences with professors and bosses, I consider the reign of Professor Umbridge, and the horror she unleashed in the 6th book.
Truth be told, I am fully aware that Harry Potter is the figment of J.K. Rowling's imagination. I realize that the books and movies have become largely commercialized and for many, the lessons are lost. I understand that my life is in no way "magical," and I will never be able to fly on my broom.
But, I can't help but be sucked into the mystical world of Harry Potter Weekend. Where for a few hours, I get some help in putting perspective on how light and promising my life actually is. I mean, no one has tried to kill me yet today. Poor Harry has nearly died 3 times this afternoon!
=) For those of you that have never read the books or seen the movies, most of this post will be lost on you. But, its never too late to start! Want to get lost in a book or see a movie with a real plot? Jump on the band wagon. It's been a fun ride, and if I met Rowling in a bar, I'd shake her hand and buy her a drink.
Cheerio!
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