What movie can you watch over and over?
Oh, I am so guilty of this. You know how little kids can watch a movie and then turn around and begin immediately watching it again?
And again.
And again.
[Like the Barney movie when you wanted to pull your hair out if you heard "I Love You, You Love Me..." one more unbearable time.]
Yeah, that's how I am with movies. And books for that matter. And, if I'm honest, food. I can eat the exact same thing every day for months on end... which has come in quite handy since there are so few foods that: a) I'm not allergic to, and b) my stomach can handle without getting sick. My mom can attest to the fact that for an entire year before afternoon kindergarten I would eat a peanut butter and grape jelly sandwich every day for lunch before getting on the bus.
And not because she wouldn't make me anything else. I was just happy with my routine.
As for movies, I've been known to repetitiously watch Steel Magnolias, The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, The Notebook, The Proposal, The Holiday, etc. etc. etc. It's ridiculous. Now that Christmas is coming, I can guarantee you I'll watch Bing Crosby's White Christmas multiple times every week.
The only way I can explain it is to liken it to comfort food.
Other people find their familiar – their comfort – in chocolate or their favorite dessert or whatever carb makes them feel full and warm and at ease.
For me, it's the familiar story, the sounds of the conversations, the music and the scenery that feels like coming home. Last year when the pain from the Spondylitis and Cushing's had me completely immobilized, the only thing I could stand was watching back to back episodes of Alias. It was ok if I closed my eyes, if I fell asleep, if I paid attention or not – because I knew what had just happened, what was coming next and what was being said in every single scene. It was familiar and soothing and required no effort from me when no effort could be given.
Since this summer, my comfort food has been the six Harry Potter movies.
Yes, I'm basically a 12-year-old.
But since Dad died, I can't seem to get into television shows that I would normally be chomping at the bit to see. It seems to take more effort for me to concentrate, I think partially because of the grief, partially because my pain has risen [and as a result so have my pain meds] and I've barely had a minute when I haven't been sick, which means I've been more tired. So comfort movies have been my saving grace.
Why Harry Potter? Because the movies are familiar, the music is mostly soft and soothing, and those English accents are a bit melodic, aren't they? It's like old friends stopping by for a visit, only I don't have to sit up and carry on a conversation, or worry about whether or not they are bringing germs in with them. :)
And the movies take me back to a time when my nephew Thomas, niece Anna and I would have Harry Potter weekends. We would watch them in a marathon, sometimes until three in the morning, while eating ice cream and candy and all the things adults should say no to. We would re-read the books during the day and throw about our theories and just spend time.
Wasting days on movies and books turned out to be days that weren't wasted at all. They are ones I treasure, and getting lost in them again is so much better to me than all the comfort foods I'm now allergic to.
Although I do still miss frozen Oreos.
