a neverending story

Last night I finished watching Season 3 of Stranger Things on Netflix. My favourite scene was when Dustin and his girlfriend sang the theme song from the 1984 film, The Neverending Story based on Michael Ende’s 1979 novel. (Die unendliche Geschichte: Von A bis Z is the original German title.)

I believe the reason this particular scene got to me was that The Neverending Story was one of my son's favourite books. And both he and I loved the film. 

Jason and I went to many films: The Breakfast Club, Cocoon, Back to the Future, the Indiana Jones films, the original Star Wars trilogy. He liked old films, too, and had crushes on Lauren Bacall and Marilyn Monroe.

While I was at work one night, he taped My Favorite Wife for me without being asked. He knew I loved Cary Grant.

He put up with me dragging him to see Dirty Dancing multiple times.

When I visited him at his father’s house in Arkansas City, Kansas, Ghost was playing at the town’s theatre. I’d already seen it, but he wanted to see it, too. We went; he loved it.

It’s funny how you don’t think of something and then, due to happenstance, it’s all you can think about. The scene in Stranger Things was very sweet. Young nerds in love is always a charmer. Especially when they're trying to save the world. Especially when you self-identify as a nerd. (I was a Girl Scout for eight years and in high school band so I think I qualify.)

For me, being a nerd means following my own path. I do what I like to do, not what all the cool kids are doing. I don’t care what’s “trending” and I am certainly no “influencer”. I don’t want to have thousands of followers or “friends”. Truth be told, I find that a bit scary and extremely exhausting.

I’ve always been more of a homebody. Much more than people imagine. I am happiest with my books and movies and my cat(s). Trying out some new film. Attempting a new creative craft or a new to die for recipe. When notified of an interesting new series or new season on one of my streaming subscriptions, this nerd is happy. Masterpiece Theatre and Mystery send me over the moon.

Tonight I think I’m going to search my Roku for The Neverending Story and pretend for an hour or two that everything that’s happened since the first time I saw it happened the way it was supposed to and not how it actually did. I’ll remember my young son’s face as he watched a favourite tale unfold before his eyes.

This is my neverending story.

The other neverending story.