Get a Life! was Re: Adult readers who are dismissive about Harry Potter

[Ali]

Melanie wrote:-

 <<<Don"t you just hate it when you can't share a wonderful 
phenomenon like the Potter series with your friends? It feels even 
worse when you begin to realize that they disrespect the whole 
idea...fans included. 

 Well. I guess everyone likes to feel a little bit superior to the 
next guy about something.>>>

Ali responds:

Your question made me smile and cringe at the same time. It is a 
very sad fact that most of the people I know neither understand 
about my love for Harry Potter nor do think it's an *acceptable* 
past time. 

I keep in touch with and remain good friends with many of my school 
friends. I hosted our annual Christmas get together a couple of 
weeks ago, and the subject got on to Harry Potter - I *didn't* 
instigate it. I think I was lulled into a false sense of security by 
the positive nature of the discussion, so I mentioned this group and 
my involvement in it. After that I think I was on a roll and 
mentioned the fact that I want to organise a UK conference. A very 
dear old friend told me to get a life!! 

I wonder what it is about my friends and family that makes them 
think they can insult my pasttimes? If I'd have said I like 
gardening or photography, I might have been acceptable, but no, HP 
is definitely not seen as ok by the majority of my friends. They 
think that I've developed this interest because I've stopped work 
and looking after babies and young kids has somehow dulled my brain? 
Another friend told me that she thought I needed to get a job (I do 
but for different reasons!). 

At one stage I thought my sister understood. Then I told her about 
the conference I was envisaging and asked her if she'd like to go; 
she said she'd only go if she could bring an 8 year old she looks 
after! She's since proved to me very clearly that she doesn't 
understand.

Reluctantly, I have come to conclude that although many of my 
friends have read and loved the books, that they do so with a kind 
of patronising, "Well I wanted to see what the fuss was all about" 
kind of attitiude - after 5 books, many of them would still say it's 
for kids - or the kid within themselves! Of course, I have other 
friends who do understand. Those friends are not addicts, but are 
willing to help me with conference stuff if I need it, and are 
willing to think that I'm not off my rocker! But the answer is to 
meet and make friends with fellow HP addicts. Of those I have got to 
know - and in some cases meet, it is surprising how much else we 
actually have in common. It is also a big advantage not to have to 
apologise for Harry Potter!

BTW, if anyone is interested in helping organise an HP conference in 
the UK, please contact me, or join our group: 

HP-UK-Convention-subscribe at yahoogroups.com

I'm intending to get things going again in the next week or so - or 
admit defeat, something I don't want to do!

Ali

(Who has got a Life - honest!)