The Many Adventures of a Thede

I'm in Ohio! Yes, I worked so hard trying to get out of here...but I'm only back for a visit. This is actually the first decent sized visit I've had since moving away. I've always just come home for a few days due to my crazy schedule. This time it's been nice to relax and hang out with friends and not feel like I always have to be someplace. And I have to admit, it's nice to have air conditioning in this kind of heat!

Yesterday I got to hang out in Dayton for the evening with all my coolest college friends. My brother Adam, Christine, Sarah, and I all went to Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix for the second time. Sarah and Christine had not yet had the IMAX 3D experience. Everyone should have the experience of seeing Dan Radcliffe's face eight stories tall and popping out of the screen. After the movie we met up with some more friends for dinner and hanging out. Just like old times.

(The following paragraph is spoiler-free...but feel free to skip it if you're being extra cautious before you finish the final Harry Potter book.)

So, after seeing the movie for a second time, I've decided that it contains my favorite line out of all five five films to date. Not to give the films the same credence as the books, but I don't think I've ever heard a better summation of the series than when Sirius Black said, "We have all got both light and dark inside us. What matters is the power we chose to act on. That’s who we really are." It's not a direct quote from the book, but I believe it encompasses the theme of the series (and it was so beautifully written by the wonderful new screen writer who I wish was staying to do the rest of the films). I think that one of the most defining things about this series that sets it apart from other children's literature is the complexity of its characters. The 'good' characters make bad choices. They have tragic flaws like pride, anger, selfishness, and greed. And these flaws sometimes even win out. The 'bad' characters become sympathetic, like when Snape was flipped on his head by James Potter or when we learn about Voldemort's tormented childhood. But that's how life is. I know I've felt the "light and dark" inside myself. I hope it is the light that I more often act upon.