I have hope

One of my first jobs as a teenager was working the ticket counter at our local cinema center. I can even remember the excitement of the Batman movie release in 1989. There was a midnight show, which was more uncommon back then, but the anticipation was incredible. We had t-shirts to wear and music blaring in the lobby as eager movie-goers waited in line to be the first to see this new film. You could literally feel the excitement in the air. I loved that job, not only because it was a fun place to work (and the benefits were nice), but also because it’s where my husband and I met and fell in love. I know. Can I get a collective awwww? Thank you, you are all so sweet. Thinking back to that job brings many wonderful memories of movie premieres, the smell of freshly popped popcorn, and standing at the back of the theater to watch the romantic scene at the end of Pretty Woman more times than I can remember. I remember our biggest worry or issue was that someone might open the side exit door to let a friend sneak into a movie. Or that someone might linger in the restroom between shows in order to see another movie without paying. Security wasn’t exactly something we needed to worry much about.

Today as I’ve watched and listened as the news unfolds in Colorado, I’m heartbroken. Working at the movie theater, or sitting in one to watch a film on the big screen, is something that was always filled with fun and excitement for me. Comfort, even. I imagine those dedicated movie fans lining up late into the evening last night waiting until the theater doors would open for them to enter, buy a big tub of popcorn, and get cozy in their seats for the much anticipated new Batman movie. I’m sure many of them had probably done that very thing many times before, without a worry or care, because sitting in a movie theater should feel about as comfy and safe as sitting in your own living room, only that big screen brings a certain magic that can’t be duplicated. I imagine everyone’s eyes glued to the screen the moment the previews began, signaling that their movie was coming soon. I imagine last minute bragging sharing on Facebook or Twitter (because we all know how cool it is to be at a midnight show of a new movie) or a quick check-in on Foursquare, and probably a speedy trip to the restroom so as not to miss a thing once the feature film began. I imagine another fun night at the movies for those in attendance. I could never imagine the reality of the horrific tragedy that took place in that theater just after midnight.

I do have hope, though. I hope that everyone affected will find their way back to a movie theater again, to sit among others who have the same love for the big screen. I hope they will feel safe to take that step and not have to live in fear because we should be entertained in the walls of a movie theater, not afraid. We should laugh in that theater or laugh until we cry. We should eat a gluttonous amount of popcorn and candy and walk away anxious for the next time we get to do it all over again. We shouldn’t be worried or afraid or concerned for our safety.  A movie theater is that place where we should be able to escape the outside world for a brief amount of time, without a care in the world, or a thought on our minds. It’s the place I hope all those involved in this horrible event will find themselves again.