TDKR

I went to see "The Dark Knight Rises" on Saturday afternoon.  I had bought the tickets online on Tuesday before the movie even opened and was really excited about seeing it.

The tragedy of Friday morning's shooting in Aurora, CO had me without words for the victims.  I saw the news post on my phone Friday morning when I woke up at 6am, and woke my husband up to tell him about it.  At the time there were very few details, so it was hard to tell what in the world was going on.  Then, I saw remembrances and  posts with cute photo-shopped images all day on my facebook feed, but I couldn't bring myself to join in, thinking it really wasn't enough to express how saddened I was by it.  The more details emerged throughout the day on Friday, the more I saw it was the act of a crazy individual and as awful as it was, there would have been little anyone could have done to prevent the action from happening (maybe his family or the school, but I don't know the whole situation to really make that determination so I will say at this time NO ONE could have known). 

A few years ago, I would have been in the Friday morning crowd seeing that movie.  I still see a few movies at midnight (Harry Potter and Twilights most recently) and considered seeing this one, but ultimately decided against it because of babysitting issues.  Since Saturday was hubby's birthday, it was a combined movie/birthday day out instead. 

I went with my dad and husband to see the movie.  I haven't seen a movie with my dad in ages.  It could have been a kids movie for all I cared, I was happy to be at a movie with my dad.  I posted my little check in on facebook saying I was seeing TDKR.  I was pretty happy.  Then I turned my phone off and spent the next 3 hours in Gotham City.

After the movie (won't be giving my opinion of the movie yet as most people haven't seen it yet), we went out to dinner.  I was a little surprised that a comment was made to me about my post about seeing the Dark Knight Rises and how it wasn't very tactful in leiu of the events on Friday.  Huh???

I didn't realize that the movie was responsible for the shooting.  I didn't realize that we are supposed to boycott a movie because of the actions of one crazy individual or that we weren't supposed to be happy about anything related to the movie.  How is that respecting the dead?  Because I am lost on that.  Those people were at a MIDNIGHT showing of a summer blockbuster.  I think most of them were fans of the franchise and would not want to see a movie completely flop that they wanted to see themselves.

I wasn't trying to disrespect the dead by being excited about seeing a movie I have waited years for, but I cannot let myself stop living because of it either.  I could have posted pictures of the dead like I knew them as I saw all over my update wall all weekend, but I think that was a bit tacky so soon after the shooting.  I think we are only bowing to the murderer by letting his actions determine how we act.  I won't let some crazy keep me from enjoying my life.  I will mourn the loss of those killed and pray for the recovery of the many injured.  But I will not, nor should any of us, let that tragedy stop us from living our lives to the fullest.  We disgrace the dead more by letting him win in that way.