In the early days of the Harry Potter craze, I entered my godson, Daniel, in a Harry Potter lookalike contest at Quail Ridge Books in Raleigh. His mother had to caution me later that in boasting of his victory, I should not say, "And he destroyed the competition! Wiped the floor with them!" This was unsportsmanlike, she said, and "they're 12."
I was one of those parents who staked out the store to be there at midnight so I could buy a copy fresh off the press, and we had to see the movie on the first day of release, which meant standing in long lines, not to mention that it took forever to get popcorn and Goobers, a flavor sensation when mixed that is delicious, and that we created at the first Harry Potter movie.
What a time. I gave Dan a tie at one point that was a duplicate of the one Harry wore in the movie. He described it as his first "big guy" tie. We got all the gizmos from the film, posters for the room wall, everything.
Dan's 20 now. The posters on the wall are of rock groups I've never heard of, and of Hawaiian Tropic models. There's been a driver's license and college and all that.
Yet today I left him a message on his cell phone (something else that came after Harry) suggesting that when the new movie comes out in a few days, we should go. I know what's happened to Dan over the last few years, how he's grown up. For some reason I think we should catch up with Harry.
Plus, the Goobers and popcorn. I'm not kidding about that. You owe it to yourselves.
Comments
Grown up with Harry
Sun, 08/02/2009 - 17:17 — kaizenprintAt 27 today, I have to say I missed out on Harry at first, because it wasn't cool at the age of 20 to watch or enjoy the books and film.
Now however, thats a different story!
Printer in Belfast
Jimmie, I sympathize with
Thu, 07/16/2009 - 18:44 — adreamerinraleighJimmie, I sympathize with you on this one. I’ve hung out enough with the young folk to know how you feel-- if there’s any parallel whatsoever to those SNL spoofs in which Bob Dole lives as an unlikely housemate in the “Real World.” (Hey, a better ending for us geezers than “Weekend at Bernie’s”!) Yet, good democrats that they were, I give them credit for tolerance. And good republican that I was I never joined in with the liquor, weed and sex. Although one wild party coed did make me drop my dentures. What a laugh! If you can think of better ways at our age to be the “life of the party,” let me know…
Growing up with Harry
Mon, 07/13/2009 - 11:20 — GetSeriousThanks for the interesting perspective. My daughter is grown up, but she's been a Harry Potter fan from Book 1. I love the Hogwarts saga, too, so I'll be on that midnight queue Tuesday to get my ticket -- and popcorn -- for the latest movie. And I'm already knitting my daughter's Christmas gift for next year -- a gold-and-maroon Hogwart's scarf. Plus a tiny one just like it for my new granddaughter, which will surely be another generation of Harry fans.