Dimes in a Card

One of the most lovely sights I witnessed this semester which, upon reflection, I should've snapped a photo of, was a card that arrived in the mail for my roommate. She had recently sold a book to someone on Ebay, and the buyer had realized that my roommate had not charged her enough to cover the shipping cost and so had lost money by sending it. The buyer took the time to send an additional two dollars in the mail for her to make up for the cost, but she clearly had not had two dollar bills lying around, so she included some change as well. She enclosed a note thanking my roommate for the book and wishing her well.

This random, unexpected, thoughtful deed is so rare in this society of busy-ness and profits, it was almost shocking to see such a sight in the mail. It was truly a beautiful gesture and demonstrated the human drive toward connection and goodness that makes the world a more peaceful place.

A challenge to anyone who may read this - find a way to connect with someone unknown and pursue it. You never know how you might change someone else's life.

Harry Potter at Midnight

Despite my deep love for Harry Potter, before last month's "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I" came out, I had never attended a midnight premiere. I had a quiz, a speech, and a paper due the next day, and I was attending the movie with a group of upperclassmen I did not know extremely well, so for the few hours leading up to the movie, I was debating whether or not I had made the right decision by going.

As soon as we reached the theater (at 9:30 P.M.) and saw the enormous line of Harry Potter fanatics bracing the cold for a chance to get a good seat, decked out in their costumes and alive with enthusiasm, I knew I had made the right choice by going. Who cared if I was up all night? I realized that it was not about the time spent watching the movie or even the movie itself that mattered in the end, nor was it about being among the first to see it. What mattered was the energy in the air, practically palpable and the unity that every member in every audience of every sold out theater felt. What mattered was the horseradish Luna earrings, the ash-covered Seamus face, the "Bros Before Chos" t-shirt, the bad-ass Bellatrix fishnet tights, and the two strangers who happened to look just like Harry and Draco stand up to duel by request of on-lookers. What mattered was that the legacy that is Harry Potter has transformed people, has created an exciting imaginary world that the entire Muggle world can share and love at once.

I had never before been a part of something so unique, and that hour of sleep -- totally worth it.