BEDA: Nostalgic Submission

My mission today was simple:  Locate and retrieve a copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1. After dinner, I practically begged my father to drive us to the nearest store that sold DVD's, so naturally, we went to BJ's.  I was completely focused, well, mostly, well... kind of, but anyways - I was focused on finding this DVD as soon as possible because Harry Potter is my childhood, pretty much.  To say that I'm a fan would be an understatement.  You should've seen the look on my face when I found them.  Or even the sound I made.  I'm weird, DON'T JUDGE ME.  So I had the precious gem in my hands, but as I sprinted down the aisle, I saw more of them.  Except this time, they were shinier, and in a plastic case, and had the words "Blue Ray, DVD, Digital Copy" on it, and also the phrase "Includes an opening scene of the final film."

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I don't think you understand what happened in my brain for a fraction of a second.  I put the box I was holding back on the shelf, and picked up the encased awesome.  Just to stress the point, I have a bookcase in the corner of my room entirely filled with Harry Potter memorabilia in addition to the two posters I have on my walls.  Yeah.

But the thing that struck a chord in me today might've had to do with the fact that I saw Toy Story 3 for the first time this morning, and tears of joy were leaking out of the corners of my eyes because the last scene is just so perfect for all of us who grew up with those movies.  So, when I was finally in the car with the movie in my hands, I found myself cradling it.  I knew it was weird, but Harry Potter is a part of my life that has been there for over ten years, and I was holding the beginning of the end.  I realized two minutes later that tears were dripping down my cheeks.  

I think it's growing up, that makes it so tough, and I don't mean that in the obvious sort of way, because someone is going to read that and say "yeah, duh.  You're an idiot."  No I'm not, so would you kindly shut up, thanks.  I mean, to realize what you had in the past as a kid is now completely different, or quite possibly gone, is terrifying and makes the word "nostalgia" feel like it's caught in your throat.  That's why I also bought Toy Story 1 and 2 while I was out, because I literally cannot recall a time when I had not had a copy of the movie.  I feel old now.  Wow...  I wonder, to whoever reads this, what's something that was one really big part of your childhood that you remember fondly?  Now I'll go sit pensively in a corner until dawn, thanks.  Total nostalgic submission happening today.  Sentimental has never been so close to home on a random day.  Seriously, nothing significant was happening today, so I watched Toy Story 3.  Just... Wow.

Song of the day is predictable.

You've Got a Friend in Me - Randy Newman

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EcXURC_nNhc

BEDA: This was going to be about bad habits, but now it's called Abrasiveness

     When I was turning twelve, entering my first year of middle school, I remember I had this habit of twirling my hair.  The classic cliché, perfect for a young adolescent... Unless it's a nervous habit and she's not aware that she's doing it.  So, naturally, being the smooth twelve-year-old boy that he was, this lad behind me says, "Why are you doing that?"

     "What?" I asked.

     "That."  He mimicked me and pointed to my long hair.  "It's kind of disgusting."  Self-conscious as every young girl is, I proceeded with something along the lines of "Yeah, what of it, Bub?!?"  And so began the Train of Thought of Bad Habits... Choo choo...

I'm not going to say that I have a lot of habits, and I don't think they're that bad, but I became fully aware of how a quirk could be put into perspective at that moment.  Little did I know that another nervous habit was either being extremely shy and quiet, or rambling on in a sarcastic trill.  Even at the young age of eleven, my humor was dry.  A little too dry for one of my teachers, apparently.  The first week of sixth grade we're assigned seats at the lunch tables according to Homerooms, but it's also a first-come-first-serve kind of deal, and you're limited to the number of chairs, people, yadda, yadda, so on, and so forth.  Of course, I'm stuck at the loner table.  The.  Loner.  Table.  Four other boys, another girl, and a nice open seat (usually next to me) occupied by my ghost friend.  The kids at this table knew the one of the teachers from elementary school, so the kind sir came to chat with us (I say "us", but I actually mean everyone besides myself).  Mr. Teacher is using big words, we're rather young children, he's joking and laughing, so I take a shot at it.  What harm can it do to try and be social?  This is middle school now, and I can be a new-ish person, right?  

     "That's quite the impressive vocabulary you have, there," I slide in cooly (or what I think is pretty chill at the time.  *Keep in mind that I'm not exactly being talked to...*).   I'm eleven.  I'm still waiting for my Hogwarts letter to come in the mail.  He turns to me and smiles.

     

     "You know, you're kind of abrasive," he says matter-of-factly.  I look up at him politely, and he must he the inquiry in my eyes.  "Do you know what that means?"  I shake my head.  "Okay," he turns his torso toward me, so now I'm the center of attention.  Thanks.  "Picture sand paper on skin."

     "Raw?  Raw skin?" I'm a deer caught in the headlights.  

     "Yeah, just like that," he smiles down at me.  "That's what abrasive means."

I think it's safe to say he was not my favorite teacher.

Song of the day today is in response to this lovely memory:  

Forget You - Cee Lo Green

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKxodgpyGec