Dear Crabby,
Did we turn the clock back a decade? Because I feel like I’m living Harry Potter hysteria all over again. He’s at my library, the bookstore, and just about everywhere else I turn. What is it about ‘the boy who loved’ that people won’t leave him alone?
Thanks!
Doug Dumbell
Dear Doug Dumbell,
Ma’am, you’re lucky I have grandkids or I wouldn’t know what in tarnation you were talking about. But even though I’m older than dirt, I do like to stay current with what the youngins are into. I noticed the beginnings of the takeover a few weeks back when I went to my local Barnes and Noble. The whole middle section of the store had been commandeered by anything and everything Harry Potter. That’s when I learned there was a new book coming out. Since then I’ve also learned that not everyone is happy with said book. I guess while that J.K. Rowling lady had a hand in its creation, she didn’t 
outright write it. Something along those lines. So, people are upset it doesn’t read like the seven other books she wrote. And then there’s the issue of the book actually being a play and people are moaning that either they didn’t understand that when they bought the book or that it’s just too hard to read with all those pesky stage directions. Do people not read plays anymore? Is Romeo and Juliet not taught in school these days? Or have we just become a society that can’t think outside the box? Whatever the case, people really need to get a grip. To find out why this wizard kid Harry Potter resonates with so many people, I went straight to my focus group; aka my grandkids. They informed me, Harry’s appeal is that he stands up for what is right and in the midst of the ugliness of life, provides hope to those around him. Now, I’ve never read these books (I can barely make it through Reader’s Digest) but if that’s the gist of the books, well I say let the fans have their fun. The world around us is a pretty depressing place most days, so maybe a little escapism from reality ain’t such a bad thing. And since you asked for my opinion, all this Pottermania was a refreshing break from that Pokémon Go nonsense where I’m constantly having to chase kids off my lawn.
Hope that helps, abracadabra, and all that jazz,
Dear Crabby
Stuck in a rut? Need some biased advice from a crabby old baby-boomer? Just want to win Michigan Renaissance Festival Tickets? Go to www.DearCrabby.org and ask your question.
You can also head on over to my Facebook page and tell me how handsome I am.
About Dear Crabby