Yes Virginia, There is a Harry Potter

Anyone who has spent any amount of time with me over the last few months knows it was only a matter of time before I addressed this subject. So here it is...Harry Potter.
Two things I have given up since becoming a mother are 1)working out and 2)reading. One,as I'm sure you can guess, is more regrettable than the other, however I still would like to fit them both into my day. To resolve this, I started walking and listening to books on tape . It has worked out beautifully, and best of all - I get a whole half hour to myself!! The first book series I chose was Harry Potter. I didn't have a lot of interest in the books or the movies for that matter, but I figured since J.K. Rowling is now a multi-millionaire she must know what she's doing, and that she does. I soon found myself completely engrossed in the wizarding world she created. I couldn't stop, it was an addiction. I was listening while I made dinner, in the car or giving the kids a bath...it didn't matter. Harry's, Ron's, and Hermoine's lives were spilled out to me around the clock. I dreamt about them and thought about them almost continually. They have became my friends . Okay - before you start calling doctors and reserving a spot for me at the mental health institution, hear me out. There is absolutely nothing like getting lost in a book. One book, and especially a series of seven books, creates a place to escape from reality and life in general. It is like being right there in the action, because only in a book can you hear another's thoughts and feelings. Ironically, this has actually given me a better appreciation for movie-makers. They have such a short time to introduce characters, make us like them and show us not tell us what they are feeling....not to mention create a story-line and plot. Books , on the other hand, can take as much time as needed for you to feel like that character is truly alive and well...and maybe living somewhere in London.
Maybe J.K Rowling is not as creative as we all think, and she is just a muggle who accidentally fell upon the Leaky Cauldron one day while shopping. Instead of altering her memory, the Ministry of Magic allowed her to write about their secret lives, but as fiction - just to get people use to the idea of witches and wizards living among us. Okay, it's highly doubtfull, but if my 11 year-old step-daughter still believes in Santa, I'm going to believe in Harry.