I dont get it...

I admit, I don't get it.  The amount of people who are genuinely sad about the last movie of HP being released, I don't get it.  There are so many adults, graduates from college (some with multiple degrees), married, kids, whatever- who are sad about the ending of this series.  I never liked it- I saw 15 minutes of the first movie and hated it and just didn't understand why so many people- nerds- were into these books.  People I love and respected too, Mom, Patrick, Brooke Ward (who is an awkward fanatic about the series), and even my Brooke at one time.  One of the books was released during our Honeymoon and Brooke spent much of her time reading that book..... Anyway, people I really respect are into it and I just cant fathom why?  I see so many people talking about how they grew up on these books and have invested 12 years of their life (or whatever it is) and now they don't know what to hold on to.  I generally respond with maybe something you know...for adults?  Regardless, I love to tease all the dorks who are seriously into this dude. I once met a very attractive girl who had Harry's lightening bolt tattooed on her ankle...not hot.  What degree is Harry getting at Hogwarts anyway, his PhD?  I mean seriously, this thing has taken forever and Harry must be like 35.   I saw on the news and read in the paper about so many grown ups who let their inner dorkiness out and dressed up for this movie last night and were crying when it was over...seriously crying.  What is wrong with you people? 

But then I thought about how many kids/teenagers/young adults spent their summers reading these books.  Many of these books were 700+ pages.  To me, that is the power of Harry Potter.  Even if I don't appreciate the subject matter, I can get behind the fact that so many people were reading books that would have otherwise been sitting around doing nothing productive, hating their life, and probably being angry at their father for something.  While I prefer books that will educate you about our past, the act of reading anything does make you smarter so for that I can respect the HP books.  I am not sure I have had any "fantasy world" aspect of my life that I cared as deeply about in the same way as these Potter nerds care about Harold.  They have now had 7 books and 8 movies to invest in, something that may never be matched again.  So while I don't get it and like to poke fun, I totally respect the fact that many of these fans spent a lot of their time reading these very long books.  Good for them. 

I for one am glad it is over and not really sorry to see "part of their childhoods ending." I guess I am strange too.  While kids were reading Harry Potter, as a kid I was reading Killer Angels and wishing I had been born in 1835 (as opposed to being a student at Hogwarts).  So to each their own.  Don't be sad that it is over, be thankful that you had something you view as so powerful to be such a part of your life.  You were reading books about wizardry and trying to figure out who you were in this world, while many of us were out getting laid stood on the outside looking at you thinking.....WTF?

Anyway, I've spent too long on this topic and must get back to watching The Empire Strikes Back for the 178th time.