The Bucket List Marathon

Okay, I don't necessarily have a formal bucket list, but you know those things that linger in the back of your mind for the longest time and finally you find a way to finish it? Well, ever since I visited Harry Potter Studios in London I have wanted to watch all of the movies again with great appreciation for not only the filming, effects, and magic of it all, but for the fantastic story that it really is. I read the Harry Potter books as they came out so I feel a certain connection to them as I watched the story unfold. I of course watched all of the movies the first chance I got, and I have a new goal to read them all in Japanese before I die. Despite all of this I do not consider myself a Harry Potter nerd. Okay, nerd maybe but not over the top. Allow me to explain myself.

People talk about movie marathons, staying up late into the night for movie after movie so as not to have any disruption to the plot and story line of a set of films. I have been privy to several such marathons but few have been truly worth my time. Let me tell you why I thought watching 19.6 hours of Harry Potter made me a better person.

1.) Wands - Silly, yes, but the wands in Harry Potter taught me a powerful lesson. "The wand chooses the wizard, Mr. Potter" says Olivander on multiple occasions. There is a particularly powerful scene in the last book where Harry speaks with the near-death Olivander and asks him why he speaks as if wands have a personality and feelings. A curious addition to a story indeed. There is not much in these books that allude to a higher power, but the wands are certainly one. In order to use a wand it must approve of you. Often times if you are able to disarm a foe in battle then their wand will answer to you as well. While this seems like a silly little thing I respect the fact that J.K. Rowling believes there is a sense of order and a hierarchy of actions that will in turn act in our favor. Many people question the existence of a God saying "how could a God allow this to happen?" I believe that while people cast the spells and while people hold the wands, good is good and bad is bad. The reason for a good and for a bad would not exist if it weren't for a higher being, or a higher law.

I was somewhat productive while watching. I got some good sketching in.

2.) Dumbledore - How could I write this post and not talk about the amazing person that Albus Dumbledore is? I wrote down several of his quotes which I am glad they preserved from the books. As he and Harry gaze into the mirror of Erised Dumbledore turns to Harry and says "It does not do well to dwell on dreams and forget to live." and as Voldemort begins his rise to power he solemnly prophesies "Soon we must all face the choice between what is right, and what is easy." and in the last book he tells Harry "Do not pity the dead; pity the living. And especially pity those who have lived and not known love." Isn't this great stuff? Hopefully these quotes will remind you as they have reminded me, that it does not do the wish for things only; we must work and live and try for things. Second, the world is changing and we all must choose what side we are on. If you know me really well I hate it when the quote "I never said it would be easy, I only said it would be worth it." is attributed to the Savior. Not because the Savior is being misquoted, but because it is the exact opposite of what I believe and what he said. He said come unto me and your burdens will be light. He said come all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. The easy way is never easy but I guarantee you it is easier than the alternative. Expect life to be difficult and it can be blissful. Expect it to be bliss and you will always wish for more.

3.) Love - I know it is maybe overemphasized and maybe even a little cliche, but I thought the theme of love prevailing was beautifully orchestrated without being gaggy or sappy. Little by little we start to see that the real magic that was existent and most powerful were the things that they could not conjure, brew, or cast, but rather something that lives in us and it carefully grown over time. So many things exist that can destroy a plot and being quite the story-telling critic (ask my wife and siblings) I saw so many that could have destroyed the story of Harry Potter. However, this beautiful little crack in the glass of this story became the detail that added character and infinite detail. The story in its conception when looked at objectively seems flawed. How would a young child avoid death so many times at the hand of the most powerful wizard in history? What are the odds that this small child's efforts could do anything to dissuade the frantic attacks of an expert of death and destruction. The literary explanation was flawless. It wasn't him that did it, it was his mother, his friends, his family and supporters. His courage was the vessel that delivered the bombshell of love that would win out in the end. The second-to-last scene shows Harry holding the elder wand and Ron stating that he now holds the power to be "invincible". Shortly thereafter Harry snaps the wand in two and throws it down a deep ravine. Harry knew he was nothing and had learned that power was not, in fact, power at all. The average person would look at the wand and see the safety net of power just in case there was another like Voldemort. Harry instead saw that power was not the answer not would it ever be. SPOILER ALERT: Which is why it was so fitting that Dumbledore had to die. He was the most powerful wizard of the time, but perhaps he was too concerned about power. We get a short glimpse into how it destroyed his family.

Anyways, if you read this whole thing, my hat is off to you. Thanks for letting me geek out for a moment there. Truth is, I love and miss my beautiful wife Madison and my adorable little monster Lewis as they are back in Utah at a Dental Hygiene conference. I never would have wanted to watch all of those in a row otherwise. They kept be distracted while they were gone though and for that I am grateful. Now until next time, when I will hopefully have something a little less nerdy to chat with you about. Funny thing I just realized: the voice in my head has had a british accent this whole time while I've been writing this post. I sure hope that isn't permanent.