“Embarrassing myself for the sake of being happy.”
Ok, Ok, I plagiarized the wonderful quote above from somewhere, forgetting to note the source. Like a pebble thrown into a large pond, I hope the ripples of my appreciation somehow wash up on the shore of the original writer! (Hey, you never know.)
Onward….to, well, “embarrassing myself for the sake of being happy.”
Need a bit more information here.
Fair enough. It all started with Harry Potter.
A friendly conversation among neighbors pivoted to our viewing habits over the weekend. Several folks mentioned streaming binges of shows such as The Sopranos and Game of Thrones. I no longer have a TV, but do have streaming providers.
Oh, and by the way, what did you watch, Jan?” Um….in my small and embarrassed voice, “Well, several Harry Potter movies…” Harry Potter?! So passé, so young, so quidditch-ridden, so, well, fantastical (magic wands, imagine that!)
In truth, I dove deep into viewing Harry Potter for an escape. (Have you read or listened to the news lately?) Is this an infantile and totally escapist pastime? For whatever reason, it’s downright embarrassing to share the joyfulness and sense of relish with which I watched. Am I being a total kid?!
(How old did you say you were?)
(I didn’t.)
For the sake of honesty, I need to bring this narrative to a screeching halt, right now!
Why? What’s the deal?
My, on-repeat, self-scorn judgments regarding the Harry Potter binge; that’s what. The subtext of that scorn is “Grow Up!” Oh my, just going to town with these “grow up” judgments. Don’t I have better things to do, like soaring through the air on my quidditch broom? Oh, whoops, perhaps not the activity I want to be talking about.
I’m looking for a healthy exit from the “grow up” rabbit hole into which I’ve fallen. Longtime advice columnists, Dear Abby and Ann Landers have, shall we say, moved on to greener (and much higher) pastures. However, it just occurred to me, I’ve overlooked that always-available advice columnist, Dr. Google. Thank heavens, the Google Doc was in.
A deep exhale of relief. Supplied with a new foundation of google-driven knowledge, my self-torment begins to abate. (And there was no waiting time!)
Really? What’d you learn?
Every generation seems to have its great iconic cultural romances. Mine was (and on occasion, still is) Beatle-mania, Harry Potter-dom, or a variety of other, fleeting, culturally embedded romances. Some of our generational romances endure for a lifetime. Others, just for just a brief time, coming and going, but we’re often accompanied by fellow journeyers who share these generational flings.
If I choose to go gaga over Lady Gaga, Frank Sinatra, THE BEATLES, or some other generational iconic romance, so be it. I’m not alone. You, you, and even you, seem ready to join me in “embarrassing ourselves for the sake of being happy.” How bad can that be?
Delighted to find the HP films on TV again! Love them! Didn't mention it to family....