Ventured out to the theater to see The Dark Knight Rises on Friday night, only hours after we heard of the tragedy in Aurora, Colorado. My hubby is the rebellious type. He refuses to live by fear. 

We did a similar thing on the ten year anniversary of 9/11. We took the subway into Manhattan with our girls, had lunch, and played at a city park with New Yorkers. It made perfect sense to hubs. He wanted us to be close to those who were hurting, because we were hurting too. A decade later, and the memories of 9/11 still get me teared up. Hub’s story of where he stood when the second tower came down is a memory that surfaces yearly every September. Sigh. 

So he wanted to teach our girls to we continue to live. And if and when someone ever decides to attack NYC again, we’re not going to sit inside our homes behind locked doors in a basement bunker. That’s just not our style. Because if you live like that, you give fear power over you.
He’s really my prince in many ways, but this knight-like approach to life reminds me again and again why I fell in love with him. He’s adventurous, and I have grown to become adventurous too. It’s the trickle across thing that happens to married people. Sometimes. 

So on Friday night, when he clicked “confirm” for our on-line ticket purchase, I swallowed my nervous     twitch and we drove over to Westbury for an 11:30PM showing. Felt like two teens on a date night as we stood in the line of mostly youngins that wrapped around the sidewalk out to the parking lot. While we stood in line, I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him. I guess this “Cinderella” is not getting home before midnight today. 

The movie line begins moving and the buzz among moviegoers increases. By the time we enter the theater with a ginormous screen, the place seems packed save a few rows right in front. Darn it. Then I spot two empty seats, smack dab in the middle, right where hubs and I love to sit, and they’re open! Yeah to the Yeah!

This is a nearly perfect movie experience. No kids repeating lines behind me. No one singing the soundtracks. No guy accusing me of touching his pop corn or stealing his drink!! No princesses pulling me away from precious scenes with potty break request. The only thing that could have improved my almost three hour date would have been a bag of pop corn and a box of chocolate-covered raisins. But since I’m only two weeks into Operation, I can DO This, I refuse to even walk up to the concession stands. Just smelling the options could send me over the edge. Think healthy thoughts, water, oxygen, calorie-less chocolate. Do they make that? Because they should. The only chocolate I’m eating these days are my calcium chewies—hubby’s sneaky way of making sure I eat my vitamins. Smart man. 

And I won’t post any spoilers, but there are some really great “Get outta here!” moments in the movie! Love the elements of surprise and the theme that has permeated all three Batman movies. *Note, my friend Junior brought this to my attention. In Batman Begins, Batman is taught DO NOT FEAR DEATH. In the Dark Knight, Batman is taught DEATH HURTS. And in the third movie, he learns to RESPECT/FEAR DEATH. And when the Dark Knight Rises ends and the credits began to roll, a thunderous roar of applause and cheers explodes all around us. So I join in. I love the movie, and it is ultra-fun to be in the midst of such enthusiasm. 

We walk out into the parking lot and I feel giddy happy from the world we just left behind us. A world where a good guy fights hard and loves harder. And a bad guy, well, wouldn’t want to spoil it for you now, would I? 

My real live Batman drives us home, accelerating our wannabe Batmobile (Toyota Sequoia) a little as he often does after a great show. Plus, it’s past two in the morning. Not a good time for anyone to be on the road on a Friday night. 

But we make it home. And as I drift off to my dreamworld, I think about the movie, and how the concept of rising permeates each characters’ journey. And how in life, we all fall. We all have bottom-of-the-well moments. All I know for sure as my mind goes from semi-awake to fantasy mode, is I’ve been there. And I’m so thankful to the hand that pulled me out. The one who rose from the dead. Jesus.

**Have you seen it yet? Do you have a favorite amongst the three? Or are you more of a Spiderman fan? And guess what? They’re remaking Superman now too… 

**IF you LIKED this POST, you MIGHT also LIKE:
“Tears for Colorado”
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“Living-An Extreme Sport”
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“Operation Sabotage Spidey”