I'm Just The Scapegoat

It wasn't even light out yet, but somehow we'd fully opened this can of worms.

In a rare role reversal, I'd been sitting in the passenger seat while mom drove. The purple silhouetted mountains traipsed across the highway in front of us. Coffee in hand, I watched the handful of headlights streak past, thinking about the point I was trying to make. I truly didn't remember what prompted it, but one way or another we'd found ourselves suddenly immersed in a panel-style discussion on the ways in which Harry Potter helped shape an entire generation's worldview.

Mom and read the Harry Potter books together when I was a kid, before I sprinted ahead. As we reminisced, she'd glanced over and asked if I still liked them, given J. K. Rowling's bizarre stance against the trans community. I didn't have to think about it before answering—I told her I did, but because of how the books impacted me as a kid, not because I like J. K. Rowling (I don't). Maybe the caffeine had hit by then, but I started to find my train of thought.

"The poetic irony is that Harry Potter is what taught me about acceptance" I'd said.

It's true. Thinking back, it suddenly made perfect sense. The plot centers around a group of misfits who come together, from chaotic home lives, to recalibrate their intuition by building self-efficacy through a distrust of adults. The plot's momentum relies on evaluating logic to move forward. Hijinks ensue, but it's still a masterfully orchestrated exercise in critical thinking—especially for young readers.

Mom said she'd never really thought about it that way. I'm not really sure I had either. But we agreed the Harry Potter universe stands on its own without Rowling, and it's not without its faults, either. Yet, it does seem like a positive way to introduce some developmental concepts to kids. Adults too, for that matter.

That's actually how the discussion unfolded in the first place. Mom told me she'd been talking with someone about my writing (thanks, mom!) and I'd been surprised to learn my work was their cup of tea. Sitting in the car, driving down the highway this morning, I felt grateful hearing that, knowing this whole writing thing is working as designed... I thought back on all the times I'd worried that sharing more of myself would dilute the message. I couldn't help but smile, looking out the window at the now gray mountain outlines ahead.

I'm just the scapegoat... here to help people by introducing ideas.