It was a crisp, rainy day on Pawley’s island. My family had rented a little beach house for a week on the Atlantic to celebrate… something important. I was too young to care, but there are three things that stuck out from that weekend.
- My Aunt K. freaking out after learning I had never seen the Wizard of Oz
- My parents catching me flexing in the mirror for the first time ever and subsequently scaring me for life
- Going to see Iron Man in an empty theater with my dad
Fast forward to now, I still have never seen the Wizard of Oz and I always lock the door when flexing in the mirror. Not much has changed on those fronts, but I never could have imagined how that third point would turn out.
It is interesting how media, especially popular media, plays in our life. But there are a few pieces that have a disproportionate effect based on when you see them. Outside of their quality, the Marvel Cinematic Universe is one of the few constants merging adulthood and childhood. The story of Captain America, Iron Man and Thor is 11 years in the making alone; a lot has changed in that time.
I distinctly remember this scene from Lord of the Rings being a basis for resilience and strength. Now, I only saw that scene. But it became a motto for when I got hurt. “Boromir got shot with three arrows and kept fighting, I can go on with a stubbed toe.”
You always hear that we live in a Golden Age of media – television and movies alike. If my nieces or nephews never see Wizards of Waverly Place, or The Walking Dead when they’re older, I won’t much care. But Iron Man? You better sit down because Uncle Alex is going to educate you.
Thanks for taking a sip,
Alejandro
A Fresh Sip 