Life on Pause: My Childhood Ends..... Now. (Or at least once the previews are over)

I am scheduling this post for 1:01 a.m. EST. At that moment, I will be sitting in a movie theater in Illinois (central time 12:01) with my ~~best friend~~ unbiological sister, ~~her~~ our little sister, and another very, very good friend. We will be anxiously awaiting the end of the previews, and the beginning of the end of the Harry Potter movies. (No, I'm not crying just writing this, I have something in my eye. Really.) I have been waiting for this movie for 10 years.

The adventures of the sweet little boy named Harry captured my heart from the moment I read the first book. I was 17, a junior in high school, and a little late to the Potter Party. My boyfriend at the time lent me the book, as we were planning on seeing the first movie when it came out the following week. When I returned it to him the next day, he asked me why I didn't like it, assuming that I hadn't finished it. I asked when I could borrow the second one.

Sure, I hadn't done my homework for the night. Sure, I had a paper I should have written another few pages on. They didn't matter. I was captivated. I was enthralled. I was in love with a skinny eleven year old boy named Harry, who's deepest wishes were meeting his parents and doing the right thing. I was enchanted with the incredible wizarding world created in the brilliant mind of J.K. Rowling. I was exhilarated to be able to imagine, through her detailed descriptions, walking down Diagon Alley, riding the Hogwarts Express, and wandering the halls of Hogwarts. Magical creatures, fantastical ideas of simple spells, and whimsical objects are all normal things in the wizarding world, and I was absolutely enamored.

Fast forward to now. I own all 7 books. I cannot remember how many times I've read them. With each reading, I notice something new or forgotten amidst the wonderful details. My passion for that sweet little boy, now a couragous young man, has not abated in the least. As Harry and his friends have grown and faced incredible challenges, my love has only increased, exponentially. As this last movie, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part Two, has approached, I am thrilled and excited, ready to see this epic culmination of the story. I am ready to end the waiting. I am heartbroken that it is over. I am devastated that there will be no more new Harry to look forward to.

“Harry Potter is all about confronting fears, finding inner strength and doing what is right in the face of adversity. Twilight is about how important it is to have a boyfriend.” — Stephen King. (*Updated to correct credit for fantastic quote*)

While I don't want to open the Potterhead/Twihard fight right now, this is one of my favorite Potterhead quotes. While outwardly a story for children, there are so many adult themes in the story that the books are a wonderful read for everyone. Seeing inequalities and tyranny, trying to fight them and do the right thing, encountering challenges along the way, are all things we can understand and relate to. There are numerous books about the philosophy, politics, sociology, and a ton of other -ologies represented and addressed in Harry Potter. I know some people who refuse to read them because they feel the books go against Christianity. I know people who have refused to read them because they "brainwashed the children of the world." The biggest and best thing about these books, though?

They have gotten the children of the world READING.

In an age of non-stop tv, video games, movies, and the internet, kids are READING. The star of the movies himself says that he wasn't a reader until he read Harry Potter.

There are so many things to love about Harry Potter. I am ever more grateful to J.K. Rowling for her creation, and for being so inspiring to so many around the world. I found the following few images while tracking down the quote above. Enjoy.