One of my earliest memories was my dad sitting down with my older sister and pulling out the very first Harry Potter book to read with her. They would take a seat in our living room and flip through the cream colored pages almost every weekend. All I wanted to do was be in on their book club... too bad I couldn't even read yet.
When I finally was able to read well and ultimately fell in love with the hobby of it, I pushed myself into their magical book club and picked up the Harry Potter novels myself. They were fun, adventurous, and enthralling. The magic felt real enough to be believable but whimsical enough to embody escapism in a book. Harry was of course my favorite character because of his bravery, humility, and perseverance. I wanted to be just like him, have all the qualities that he possessed. I even dressed up as Harry for the final book release party at my local Barnes & Noble. If you don't believe me, look at the picture below.
Yep. Almost identical right? It think so. My next earliest memory of Harry Potter was going to the 3rd movie in theaters, just me and my dad. Looking up when it was released, I would've only been 5 years old. Why did my dad take me, I don't know, but regardless it was awesome. I remember sitting in the large, red, plush seat with a bucket of popcorn in hand. My dad was to my left and I was ready to be in on the magic that him and my sister always talked about. Next thing I remember is waking up to the rolling credits and missing 90% of the movie. When did I even fall asleep!?
I could go on for probably 20 more paragraphs of funny stories of how Harry Potter played outing my own upbringing but I'll spare you the reading time. I look back on all these memories and see one thing: positivity. Harry Potter's magic was something that was not only fun and entertaining, but inspiring. He inspired me as an individual to fight for good, be brave, and always remain true to yourself in the process. On the more macro scale, Harry Potter inspired positive relationships within my own family. It was a shared interest for old and young alike, something we could all dive into and enjoy.
The positive connotations with the Harry Potter franchise alter my view on magic itself. Yes, there are "bad" witches and wizards within the franchise, but ultimately the main characters are fighting for good, looking toward the light. Magic is a good thing; witches aren't scary; wizards are courageous. It challenges the norm in so many ways. I love this franchise because of the central themes of inspiration strung all throughout it. Harry inspires us to draw closer to people we love, challenge labels we have in society, and persevere to ultimately see good beat evil in the end.
First, what a darling photo. Loved it. Also, I thought your whole past was great. Thanks for sharing. About those 20 other paragraphs? Seriously, there might be a really interesting book, or even shorter narrative, about a young girl growing up with Harry Potter. Think about it. I know a publisher.
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