Saying goodbye to a dear old friend.

Rushing through the parking lot, "must get there... what if we are too late".  Cars are everywhere at 9:45pm on this Thursday night.  Slipping the car into a spot not too far away, I sling myself out of the car and quickly make my way to the door. No lines this year just mass chaos.  People everywhere, some sitting in circles, some weaving their way around trying to make it just a little closer to that glorious velvet rope that is the gate way to bliss, at least for tonight.  Slowly making my way around some mulling about I spot some people I know and we start up a conversation as the doors open continuously for more and more fans pouring their way into the lobby, "they will have to stop letting people in the doors soon" as my personal space get to the point of a small perimeter around my person but more people just keep walking in.

(yes, we did dress up.  Wands and all)

I hear a yelling voice off to my right and I see a man standing on the consession stand calling out to the crowd, his poor voice strained as he announces "Theaters 4,5, and 11 are now seating".  As the moment pass more people enter and the man on the counter keeps yelling the same thing over and over,every once in a while he adds another theater but never mine. With each time I wonder will he ever announce my theater is seating.

The lobby has mostly cleared out by this point and my theater is the last to seat.  Finally the man on the counter announces "Theaters 2,3,4,5,9,10,11,8, and 7 are now seating"  The energy in the crowd before was nothing like it was at that moment, pushing on my back and sides as people try and force their way closer to that beautiful velvet rope.  I make it through into my seat and sigh at our good fortune: we not only made it in but mostly unscathed and to rather good seats.

Legs shaking with anticipation, the lights dim and there is a eruption of cheers in every direction.  I sit enraptured by what is about to happen and saddened at seeing it all come to a close.  Odd I know but it felt like having a close friend move away, knowing that you would never see them again but only have the memories of your friendship.  What will life be like?  I know it is silly but these people, these characters have been around for more than 10 years of my life.  As the moments that we all knew came to play across our screen we compared them to the imaginary scenes that we had envisioned.  With each silly moment there was such joy, conquering moments meet with loud applause, and in those moments we all knew had to come jeering quiet as tears silently slid down already wet cheeks.

To those who will always exist in my memories, I am sad to see you move away but overjoyed at the time we had.