Inspiration and Nostalgia
“It is our choices … that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.” -Albus Dumbledore- Harry Potter & The Chamber of Secrets.
I was watching the Harry Potter movies recently for the millionth time. Whatever your feelings are about JK Rowling, I would say that I love what Daniel Radcliffe recently said, “If you had a connection to these books, then that’s sacred, if these books made you feel something, then that connection is between you and these books. No one can take that away from you.”
I kept thinking about how it was nice to escape; I was about 12 when I received The Sorcerer’s Stone and The Chamber of Secrets. I sat down and read every single page of both books. I had fallen in love with this world. My parents instilled in me the love of reading at a young age; unfortunately, I was a picky reader and often switched among different books. Not the best habit. However, at the time, I would say that my parents were more than thrilled that I was immersing myself in books.
Soon Harry Potter became a part of my parents’ lives as well. We bought the cassettes on tape; we listened to Jim Dale read 146 voices, and created the world with the books on tape. I have up to the 4th book on cassette tape and the rest on CDs. This makes me feel so old every time I look at them on my shelf. I realize I have the end of one technology and a new one.
As new Harry Potter books would come out, my dad would have them delivered, and he’d read them all in one sitting before handing the books to me. I remember staying up late, reading till sunrise, often crying and laughing aloud, and reading the evocative world within. For me, I felt for these characters, and I grew up with them. The characters were always there for me, and I think many people of my generation felt the same way.
Whenever I re-watch the Potter films or re-read the books, a calming feeling comes over me. A wonderful, warm, fuzzy feeling of “going home to Hogwarts.” It’s funny how nostalgia works, how good it feels to rekindle something familiar. When I watched them recently, it reminded me how nostalgic feelings can be especially pleasant right now; it’s a little bit of normalcy to reminisce about something so deeply special to us, something we’re all longing for these days amid the pandemic. So when you have the chance to sit down, read a good book, watch a fun movie, or read some inspirational quotes. We all need to take a break and recharge our batteries sometimes. Escape into a familiar world and feel that childlike wonder again.
