Sunday, July 17, 2011

How I learned to be happy thanks to Harry Potter.

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Up until 2002, I suffered from a terminal case of "cool kids disease."  This is an affliction wherein you are WAY too cool to pay attention to anything that is popular to the masses.  In fact, instead of just ignoring these things, you actively hate on them and make obnoxious comments about how stupid everyone who likes anything popular is.  It is a terrible affliction that hundreds of thousands of teens and young adults still suffer from.

I, however, found my cure in cheapness.  See, I actively avoided Harry Potter, though many of my friends and acquaintances loved it, and so when "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" came on HBO, since I was PAYING for the dumb channel anyway, I recorded it to watch when there was nothing else on. And it was in that moment, when "Eh, it's on and I am paying for the channel so I might as well watch the stupid thing" beat out, "I'm WAY too cool to watch popular things," that I learned that sometimes, thing are popular, because they are freaking AWESOME!

And so I watched the movie, and then forced my husband to watch the movie, and then watched the movie a billion more times (every time it was on, East and West Coast). And as soon as it opened, I went to the library and checked out all the books and read them in rapid succession.

At that point, the series was only up to"Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" and "The Chamber of Secrets" was just coming out in the theaters, and so I joined in on the Harry Potter mania with full gusto.  The next year, I pre-ordered "Order of the Phoenix" from a local bookstore and spent an entire family vacation worrying about whether I would make it home in time to get my copy. I attended all the midnight premiers from "Prisoner of Azkaban" on. I read the supplemental books, and re-read all the books each time a new one came out. I read Mugglenet everyday, and drew fan art, and read theories, and immersed myself completely in fandom. And I was happy. I was no longer avoiding things to be cool and missing out on things that had the potential to bring me immense joy.

So now, when some popular book, or show, or movie comes along, instead of willfully ignoring it, I investigate. I want to know for myself if this could be my next Harry Potter, or at the very least, just a moment of happiness I would have otherwise missed out on by being too cool to like things.

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16 comments:

  1. AlanJuly 17, 2011 at 9:08 PM

    Just curious: did you draw a narwhale as your patronus first? Because that would be a scary one. Love the illustration!

    p.s. Your llama patronus chasing a dementor would make an awesome tattoo. Just saying.

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  2. Deny it allJuly 17, 2011 at 9:32 PM

    You're one of the cool kids now, that's so Breakfast Club!

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  3. KimJuly 17, 2011 at 9:37 PM

    Llama patronus is possibly the most awesome thing ever. And you look wicked cute in your uniform; Hufflepuff colors are very flattering.

    I was the same way with some types of music. I thought it was loved by too many people, then fuck it, cause people are sheep who will like anything they're told to. I've since learned that I don't care if other people like something. If it makes me happy and gives me joy, then I want it!!

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  4. ♥α§ђ£ε¥™♥July 18, 2011 at 1:10 AM

    I'm still too cool. Fanfic makes me want to cry. I despise Potter and Twilight. I just don't say anything more than that anymore. That's all that needs to be said.

    ~Ashley~

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  5. RonjaJuly 18, 2011 at 9:24 AM

    I actually tried to like Twilight, but it simply wasn't very captivating to me. I even like vampire books, so I was all sad that I didn't enjoy it. But I love Harry Potter. I also like Lady Gaga. She makes me giggle!

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  6. MewlKittenJuly 18, 2011 at 9:49 AM

    The3 same exact thing happened to me. I didn't start reading the books until the 4th one was about to come out, and I only read it because I was bored and my sister got a free copy of the first book from her work. I used to make snide comments about people who liked Harry Potter, but Now I'm dressing in my Slytherin Shirt and Tie and I went to see the last movie and I cried my eyes out and I'm proud of it! Unfortunately this doesn't always work. Because I gave Twilight a chance and hated it... I still hate it and I will not join in with the masses of Twilight fans. Ugh.

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  7. UnknownJuly 18, 2011 at 9:50 AM

    Yes I ignored HP like many others, but then one day I was bored at Barnes and Noble and started reading book one, and low and behold I didn't want to leave, so I bought it and the rest is history! :-)

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  8. Mrs. TeacherJuly 18, 2011 at 11:21 AM

    I did the same thing! Actively avoided HP, that is... Now I've read all the books and will be seeing the new movie this week.
    I'm not a CRAZY fan though, so I'm still not FULLY following the masses, right?
    http://tragicandlovely.blogspot.com/

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  9. onegirlandtheworldJuly 18, 2011 at 1:42 PM

    I don't believe you almost missed out on the Awesomeness that is Harry Potter!! :O I can't actually remeber a time in my life before Harry Potter...no honestly I was like 4 when the first book came out! I'm just happy that you did discover it!! :D And I love your HP drawings please draw more! xxx

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  10. SamanthaJuly 18, 2011 at 1:43 PM

    I was the same way with Harry Potter. When the books and movies first came out, I totally avoided them. Once I finally saw the first one, though, I was hooked! I got in on the craze late, but now it's something that both my hubby and I love.

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  11. onegirlandtheworldJuly 18, 2011 at 1:44 PM

    oops *remember! I just got too excited x
    http://onegirlandtheworld.blogspot.com/

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  12. eleven's inkJuly 18, 2011 at 8:44 PM

    The whole Potterverse (potterworld?) had me from the get-go (by that I mean I started reading when the third book came out). I long to write like that. *sigh*

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  13. luckyJuly 19, 2011 at 3:05 PM

    omg...did u jus draw a llama patronus...(lmao)
    u'r so awesome..

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  14. Noisy QuietJuly 20, 2011 at 4:38 AM

    How did I miss this one?

    Love Hagrid's hut!

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  15. Ms. MMJuly 30, 2011 at 2:26 PM

    I still suffer from the I'm-too-cool syndrome, which is the fault of Twilight and pop music. Blerg.

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  16. LiliaJuly 30, 2011 at 8:16 PM

    Yay for Harry Potter and being cool enough to be able to like what you like, even if other people like it too!! I love the Expecto Patronum art! :-)

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