The Final Countdown

The countdown of course is for our boy wizard Harry.

I bought our tickets today online.

We are going all out & seeing it in an IMAX 3D Adventure.

Adam doesn't get it.  I am actually almost willing to wager that

he will, at some point, fall asleep during the film.

He did during the last two.

I've watched so many interviews of J.K Rowling and the cast and crew lately.

There was one I wish I'd bookmarked.

J.K Rowling said she didn't think the first book would have a big audience.

Sure, there'd be the obsessives, but not the masses that love the books.

I would characterize myself as an obsessive in this case.

I don't belong to any clubs or online groups.

Ok, I bought my awesome kick ass wand...

I've never dressed up for Halloween as a Harry Potter character.

If I did, it'd be Professor Trelawny ;)  She's awesome.

I think Adam'd make a perfect Hagrid.

He's kind and caring like Hagrid.

I can guarantee that a future family dog at some point will

either be named Dobby or Albus - depending on the breed.

But I digress.

I love the characters, the stories, the school, the portraits that move.

The MAGIC and all the Magical Creatures.

I also love that it's British.

While reading the first book, as Hagrid tapped on the wall out back of the

Leaky Cauldron, I was there.

I was 11 years old and I couldn't wait to see what happened next.

As a kid, my favourite stories were of other worlds or secret places.

Simon in the Land of Chalk Drawings

The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe

The Wizard of Oz (even though it was scary)

The Land of the Lost

The Secret Garden

Mary Poppins

Alice in Wonderland

Bedknobs and Broomsticks

As an adult, my tastes have remained the same in books and films.

I get lost in Middle Earth, often.

The Spiderwick Chronicles

Stardust

These stories, in a way have become my escape,

my relaxation, my inspiration and at times, my therapy.

A few years ago, I had pneumonia. A pneumonia that wouldn't go away.

After chest x-rays and CT scans, further tests and procedures were required.

Words like Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma and lung nodules came up.

There were some weeks before my biopsy was scheduled where, for the first time, I

thought about my mortality.

My mind went 100 miles a minute for about 3 weeks.

If whatever was wrong with me wasn't going to kill me,

the stress I was causing myself surely would.

One of the thoughts I had was, " I won't know how Harry Potter ends."

See, the last book hadn't been published yet.

How odd is it, that I thought about that.

I thought about a million other things too, like would Adam re-marry?

Would my Mom be ok?

Would I ever get to see myself with a full head of grey hair?

Will I ever grow old?

Mostly, I was scared. Really scared.

That is when movies and books calmed me.

Took me out of the shit I was going through, even if it was for just 90 minutes.

That's why I love movies.

That's why I love books.

I am looking forward to seeing this final film.

I am incredibly sad that it is the last film.

The Boy Who Lived.