We went to the movies for the first time as a family yesterday to watch Inside Out. Kitty made it through an hour, then we left and came back for the last ten minutes or so. Since I missed the middle, this isn't a review, although my 5 year old son, who watched it all, wasn't thrilled.
In the movie, Riley, an 11 year old girl, has several islands (being goofy, hockey, a best friend, family, etc.) that make up her personality. Some of her key emotions get lost, Joy and Sadness, and the islands are destroyed one by one.
After the movie being an okay experience for our family, but not really that much fun, I felt like the island in my mind, called Movies, fell into the Abyss and became no more.
I have always loved movies, and going to the movie theatre was a treat I relished. As a young married couple before kids, the King and I went all the time. Our first movie was Shrek, and one of the most memorable was Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, at a midnight showing before we flew east for Christmas with my parents in Maine. I took my 8 year old neighbor friend to the movies every chance I got. Even N and J were movie theatre pros.
But I've changed. Maybe it's the years of no sleep, or my life not being my own with the constant demands of small children, or the content of the movies themselves, I don't know. I browse Netflix, but end up switching to music on YouTube or Ted talks instead.
Movie Island has died. I want to be in control of the characters, instead of just passively following along. Perhaps Writing Island has come to stay.