Harry Potter

THE BOY WHO LIVED, THE CHOSEN ONE,

THE BOY WHO DOESN'T REALLY EXIST

HARRY JAMES POTTER 

I love Harry Potter. In fact, I probably love Harry Potter more than I love anything else in this world. Well, I love it more than anything besides God, the people in my life, and delicious food. Out of any series that I've ever read, this story has stuck with me as my favorite for nearly fourteen years. In my opinion, the characters and storyline will easily stand through the test of time. J.K. Rowling has created a world in which I, along with countless others, can easily escape into when the world is boring us, or depressing us. However, depending on which Harry Potter book you are reading, it may not make you any happier.

The characters are familiar and although they are fictional, I cannot help but care about them. I know that sounds crazy, but good ol' J.K. is a fantastic writer. Though magic isn't real (or so we've been led to believe), the world that she created is so believable. At least, I have always thought so. The Wizarding World has its own government, customs and sports. Though she incorporates many creatures/myths etc... that were brought to life by other authors and throughout time, Rowling also created a good deal of her own things. (For example, Horocruxs. I'm pretty sure that no one else came up with something quite like that. Freakin' genius, if you ask me). Along with the cool places and things,  her characters are real and relatable. They have their share of problems and they range from petty things such as love all the way to uber important fight scenes, and etc... Although Harry seems to have unnaturally good luck when it comes to fighting the Dark Lord and escaping him, he is not a perfect character. If he was perfect, killing Lord Voldemort would have been cake.

Now, much like my fellow Potter fans, I really dislike it when Harry Potter is put down by someone who obviously has no taste. I can understand if you don't like reading, or if it wasn't your favorite story, but how could you possibly hate the Boy Who Lived? Yeah, I get that at times, Harry can be extremely annoying... especially during the Order of the Phoenix when teenage angst hits. Yet, he tries his best to be the loveable chosen one. If you dislike Harry as a character, that's fine by me, but if you go farther than that and start to bash Jo's whole plot and creativity and whatnot, there are no promises that I will stay calm. What about the other beloved characters? Neville? Nymphadora Tonks? Luna Lovegood? Seriously, that blonde haired girl is the most interesting character ever (AND freakin' insightful!), and if you don't find her adorable and weird and awesome, you should just go far, far away.

Yes, I'm passionate about this... And yes I should probably take that passion and put it into something that will help me get somewhere in life. But I don't think that's possible. Harry Potter has been a big part of my life through all the important times in life. During those awkward elementary school years, the awkward middle school years, the ultimate awkwardness that is high school and then continuing onto my life of young adulthood smothered with an extra coating of even more awkwardness, a dash of responsibility and a cup of stress.

But you know what really gets on my nerves? It's when people are downright insulting this marvelous series. When they say that the story, everything about it and even J.K. Rowling is evil. Like the real, torturing animals, murderous, men-who-want-to-watch-the-world-burn type of evil. Some people that I know, *cough* Uncle Christopher *cough*, constantly tell me that because it involves witchcraft, the book and its author are in cahoots with the Devil. I don't understand this argument. Yes, I understand what the Bible says about witchcraft and mediums, etc... however, this is a fiction book. This is not the first book that involves a magical world where wizards and witches are protagonists and it certainly won't be the last. It would be different if she was writing this book from Lord Voldemort's point of view. For those of you who don't already know, he's the bad guy who sought world domination and plotted to kill anyone who did not have a "pure" magical bloodline. (Even though he was a freakin' hypocrite and a half-blood himself).

Harry Potter wants nothing more than to save his peers and those who are important to him. He constantly is in danger, and fighting for the lives of those around him. This book does not teach us how to be witches and wizards, (though magic would make a lot of things easier). It does not try to convince us to worship witchcraft, though some fans take it too far and think that they can become magical as well. (With every awesome novel, film or television show, there are those who taint the goodness and make things weird). J.K. Rowling created very clear characters, whom we know are good or evil. (Well... except Snape. Everyone went back and forth with him... but ultimately, he was pretty darn good. He fought for love!) The characters that were evil and follwers of He Who Must Not Be Named were written in such a way that made readers despise them from the get-go. J.K. never sympathized with those characters, and from the very beginning, there was a clear distinction as to who she wanted her readers to root for.

There a numerous amounts of wonderful things that this series teaches those who love it. First off, it teaches us that no matter how bleak the situation is, you can rise above bad times. Good can ultimately prevail over evil.

From the get go, Harry is alone. As an orphan, he is forced to live with family members who dislike his parents, therefore disliking him. They treat him terribly. He is deemed an outcast and abnormal because of his background. Of course, he knows nothing about being a wizard at this time, but once he does find out, things only prove to get more difficult from there. He has no friends in the non-magical world. You wonder how a kid could go through all of that abuse and still be normal. Aside from the whole magical bloodline, of course.

Anyway, throughout the course of the seven books, Harry is constantly put into terrible situations. In the first book, he is attacked by the Dark Lord (via Quirrel) and although that's a really terrible situation, he got through it. He never gave up. He showed us that with perseverance and a little bit of luck, even a group of eleven year old's could fight a grown wizard, and the weird guy on the back of his head, and win. Oh, not to mention they fought a troll during that year, which in my opinion is a lot scarier than a guy with a bad attitude in a turban.

The next year, Harry is thought to be the heir of Slytherin. Gryffindor, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw kids are scared of him for it, while Slytherin hates him for it. Harry just can't win. They all ostracize this poor second year, however, Ron and Hermione stick with him through the difficult times.Then all hell breaks loose when the chamber of secrets is open. People start getting petrified left and right, and it's up to Harry to save the day. Big shocker! He fights a freakin' huge snake (called a Basilisk) with the sword of Gryffindor. You're not hardcore, unless you live hardcore... and the legend of Harry Potter is real hardcore.

Things just get worse from there... but I'm not going to go in detail, since this post is already longer than most. Anywho, all you need to know is that when Harry is in a bad situation, he keeps on keeping on and gets through the bad times. Ultimately, a lot of people die and get hurt because of the Dark Lord, however, in the end, there is a happy conclusion. Some would say that it's not realistic, but I beg to differ. If you are in a bleak situation and you stop trying to make things better for yourself because you don't think it'll make a difference, then you'll never be able to get to a better place. You will always be stuck in the hard times because you'll settle for it. Harry never settled.

Another great thing that the series taught me, is that friendships are the number one important thing in a person's life. Without friendships, you will get no where. Well, unless you are Peter Petigrew or anyone who thought they were "friends" with Lord Voldemort. No, you just become a slave then. Anyway.... the dynamic between Harry, Ron and Hermione is so touching. Especially when you know how and when the idea of friendship first came into their minds. Sharing a near death experience can really bring people together. :)

Throughout the series, they are always there for one another. Yes, Ron and Hermione fight and really make things difficult, however that is because they were in love and never wanted to admit it. That is a whole different lesson to go through and I'd rather not touch on that subject... But whenever Harry needed help with Ickle Voldykins, they were there to back him up. Well, Hermione was there to back them up and show them spells and save their booties. Good job, Hermy!!

Harry's life turns around when he is accepted into Hogwarts because he finally makes some friends. These people understand his quirks because hey! They're weird too. They accept him and love him, and not just because he's the chosen one. That's just an added bonus, I suppose. Anyhow... friendship is a key theme in these series, and if you have read them, you know that Harry would have been nothing without the friendships he gained during his time at Hogwarts. And not only with the students at Hogwarts, but the adults of the book as well. They were friends with Harry's parents, and as we can see, they did their best to look after James and Lily's child, long after they had passed away. True friendship isn't something that is conditional. It is not something that has a time limit. It does not stop when one person is no longer living. We, as humans, may die, but friendship can never die! It leaves a legacy that is more wonderful than fame. Who needs fame when you have the best friends in the world?

Anyhow... I know I got really into this and it's already WAYYY too long. You probably haven't even stuck to the end. However, if you did, I know that you are awesome. Unless you dislike Harry Potter still after that whole speech. I think you may need a few chocolate frogs, and some butterbeer off the trolly, dear. That'll make you appreciate the wonderful world of Harry Potter, I'm sure. ;)

Reasons Why:

REASONS WHY MUSIC IS
AWESOME!!!!

Music: Preventing homicidal rage since... well, the beginning of it's existence.

1. All it takes is a few chords and suddenly, you are transported to another time or place. Not literally, although the effect is just as cool. You begin to reminisce on old times, with a certain person (or people), in a special place and it can be utterly glorious. Of course, it could also be really terrible, especially if the song in question was you and your ex's "song". You still get transported to a different time... but it's obviously a time much better than where you are currently at. Which is the perfect segue to my next point...

2. Music evokes emotions that you weren't even sure you had. Sometimes these emotions are directly related with memories that are brought up while listening to music, like I stated above, but at times, music doesn't even need to be tied to a memory in order to create emotion. The melodies, harmonies, tempo, etc all come together to create a piece of music that can sound somber, happy or just plain scary. I don't know if it's just me, but when these pieces are performed correctly and with passion, focus and correct technique, I find that I lose myself in the music. I no longer become aware that I'm even listening to music. I start to feel. Depending on the song, sadness or happiness grip me, and I can't even begin to describe why. But it's freakin' awesome...

3. Despite what you have been led to believe by some artists in the pop industry, music can actually be absolutely fantastic. Popular music is honestly not very engaging nor is it difficult to recreate (TYPICALLY. This isn't the case for every song, just a great majority of them). When you venture out into the realms of classical music, alternative, and even some rock music, you experience some pretty cool effects that blow your mind. I would get into more detail on this, but that would involve talking about music theory, and no one really wants to do that. And believe me, after four semesters of that class, theory is the last topic that I would want to discuss.

4. When  you want to dance, you can just turn some music on and let your inner animal loose! If it has a good beat and some awesome effects, you can turn any place you're in to a dance floor. I mean, you can dance without having music but it's just not the same. Plus, you look a little crazy dancing to no beat. Especially if you're like me and you aren't the greatest dancer. Interperative dance doesn't look as cool when you have no music to back you up. Actually, it probably doesn't look too cool even with the music. Oh well... I'm never giving it up!

5. It can be a lot more complicated than most people believe. While there are many out there who think that music is easy (I.E. girl in my Environmental Science class who thought she would have no problem in Sight singing because she was in "recording"), and some people are naturally gifted in theory, listening and playing/singing, music is actually really complicated if you get down to the nitty gritty. Also, if you're a normal person like me, you can't just whip out your piano or guitar and come with a song on the spot. It takes you hours. And even after all of the time spent playing, you still slightly terrible, though you may have made some improvements.

For any of you who think being a music major is easy, I cordially invite you to try it out. Sure, there isn't a lot of homework, but if you don't practice, you're usually screwed. You can get by on natural talent during your first year, but if you don't work hard, then you won't really get anywhere. At least, that's how it is with the vocal program. And unfortunately, though I'm not failing, I'm not exactly going through this program with flying colors because I have a hard time not procrastinating.

Anyway... rant done. On to the next point.

6. There is not a single person on this world who hates music. At least, I have yet to meet someone who does. I seriously doubt that anyone hates music, however, since it's much like hating puppies, or babies, or hating happiness itself. It may not be everyone's life and soul, as it is for me, but you just can't dislike music. If you happen to, please don't ruin my opinion of you by telling me. I seriously will never be your friend again. If that is harsh, I apologize, but you're being silly by not liking God's gift to the world. For real.
 
7. The reason I believe that no one hates music is because it's so versatile. There are so many genres of music, it's unbelievable. Rock, Pop, Country, Classical, Hip-Hop, etc... A little something is available for everyone. You've got music for every mood and situation, as well. If you're tired of one type of music, you can just change the station or press shuffle on your iPod. It's that easy... I know that if you're anything like me, you go through phases. Like right now, I'm definitely on an alternative streak. A few weeks ago, it was rock. When I start this musical in the next couple of weeks, I'll probably fill my playlists with showtunes.

8. Music brings people together. Whether you have a favorite band, or play/sing in an ensemble, you can't help but make friends with people you normally wouldn't because of music. In my own life, most of my best friends are people I've met because of music. When you are part of an ensemble, like choir, you become sort of like a family. You spend a lot of time with one another practicing and performing, and although you may get annoyed at each other from time to time, you learn to appreciate each and every person in the choir. You appreciate them because a choir cannot lean on one really good person. You have to blend, listen to one another and everyone has to be accountable in order to sound good. When you do a good job, you feel accomplished and proud of those around you. It's a great feeling!

There are many, many more reasons proving that music is awesome and I'm hoping that you agree. My days aren't complete without listening to some guitar riffs or a beautiful melody sung by a choir. I couldn't imagine life without music, which is why I am studying it in college. Sure, it may not be the smartest decision to some, but hey, at least I love what I'm doing. How many people could say that?

Advice

DO I LOOK LIKE 'DEAR ABBY' TO YOU?

Despite the rather harsh tone of my title, this isn't a post to bash the people that have come to me looking for advice. In all actuality, I rather enjoy helping those around me. (Though I am far from wise, at times I am capable of providing others with intelligent counsel). Yet, ever since I hit puberty, the problems my friends come to me with no longer deal with simple things like proper play time etiquette, or which outfit looks best on Barbie for a night out on the town. No, things have become more serious and they all stress a certain unbearable topic.

Love.

No matter how much we supposedly mature, it seems as though my friends can not talk about anything other than who is dating who, and what person they're currently crushing on. I'll admit it, I'm guilty of this as well. Alright, so that is quite the understatement. I'm VERY guilty, especially of the latter but no matter... The point of this blog post is not about who is the most annoying when it comes to relationship talk. (Though, I probably would take the cake if we were voting). The point of this blog is not to bash others, like I've said before, but in a way to bring to light all the silly things that I do when it comes to taking advice.

Now, I can be somewhat intelligent when it comes to other people's problems. I feel as if many of you probably feel the same way. It's easy to help a friend figure out the best plan of action when you are a completely unrelated third party who has no interest in the matter whatsoever (if you understand that reference, you're amazing). Even if you are part of the situation, just being able to take a step back while not being the center of drama is always helpful. And, when you are giving advice to someone you care about, you will typically try to find the best solution to their problems, because you want them to be as happy as possible.

When it comes to your own problems, it's easy to become lost in all the drama, feelings, stupid emotions and whatnot. Or maybe that's just me? When I have drama in my life (especially relationship drama), I tend to become a crazy person who has no idea where she is going with her life. I may have given my friend advice for a similar situation a few weeks ago, yet I cannot clear my brain enough to figure out what I should do for myself. It's pretty embarrassing, let me tell you. Hopefully I'm not the only person who has a hard time following my own advice. If I was, then I'd probably feel a lot sillier than I do now.

I see those around my being obsessed with love and I roll my eyes. Yet, when I'm given the chance to talk about my love life (or rather, lack of one), I won't shut up. I'm probably one of the most hypocritical people when it comes to this issue. However, admitting the problem is the first step to overcoming it. SO, with that being said, I either A) Need to stop being so annoyed at others for their silliness when it comes to romantic relationships, or B) learn to cool my jets when it comes to talking about my own. Or even just forget about romantic endeavors for good. Yes, the latter sounds absolutely divine... but also pretty difficult. 

 I just don't want to be like the people who come to me for advice, yet I know I fall into the same habits. They complain about being single when honestly, this is the best time in life to do the things that you want without having to worry about what anyone else thinks. They go to insane lengths to get a significant other, even if it means pretending to be someone they're not. When they are around people of the opposite gender, they do just that-- become someone they're not. While talking to people, they always try to make the conversation about their problems and their relationships. 

I know that I am guilty of ALL of these things, so if you happen to be reading and say, "Is she talking about me? Because I do those things...," it could be true. However, this post is not to make you feel bad, like I said above. I do the same exact things... and I'm sure most people in this world do them to. Yet, I would like to make some new habits and be a listener, not a talker (which is going to be SUPER difficult for me), I would like to be happy with my single life (which is slightly less difficult), and I want to be someone who focuses on important issues... not just about issues that deal with the opposite gender. Finding love is not the most important thing in life, although society has made it seem that way. In a world where finding a "mate" is not necessary for survival any longer, we can easily go and enjoy being ourselves. We don't have to please one another... we should just do the things we love and find ways to make ourselves happy!