Once Upon a Time...

Once upon a time, my mom told me we were going to see Les Miserables at Orem High. I was but a wee eighth grader and thought "What the heck? Why not?  I like plays! And my cousins will be there." Little did I know, seeing that play would birth a supernatural obsession within in me. It was the start of something new. The beginning of an unearthly passion.
My mother had had to explain the plotline before hand, so Henry and I would at least somewhat understand what was going on. By the time the first act was over I was liking it! During intermission I went with my Aunt and cousin to get my cousin's glasses, because she couldn't see what was going on on stage. By the end of the of the play, I was ready to see it again! I had decided, if I were to ever be in a production of Les Mis, I would either be Fantine or Eponine. Preferably Eponine, because I felt I could relate to her best (but back then, I wasn't exactly into boys, so I don't know why I felt that way).
I spent much time listening to the music. Learning the main songs from the Original London Cast recording we had. We bought the piano music, I mastered every single song.
I tried to watch the 25th anniversary video tape we had, but couldn't sit through it. I couldn't understand why there wasn't a movie.
When the movie was announced I don't remember being particularly bummed (like some people, who thought it would be ruined). Or excited (like some people who thought it would be the best thing ever). I thought "Oh. Cool." But when I watched the 50th anniversary, I started feeling the Les Mis juices flowing. People started pinning stuff on pinterest, my cousins talked a lot about it and soon after Christmas, my mom and I planned to go see it sometime after new years, but before school was back in.
I sobbed.
It was the probably the first time I ever cried in a movie theater.
I saw it again with my dad, I didn't cry, because this old lady was sitting on the other side of me WHEN THE WHOLE FREAKING THEATER WAS EMPTY. Just kidding, not the whole theater, but really. She could've sat somewhere else.
I saw it again with Kari, Mary, Tressie and Jacob. Kari had already seen it once, and was enthusiastic as I was. It was Mary's, Tressie's and Jacob's first time. Mary was ROFCE by the end. (Rolling on the floor crying enthusiastically). Tressie and Jacob weren't very impressed, but that didn't matter. I loved this movie and I was ready to exclaim it from the top of some place very high!
And then we bought the DVD.
I bought the movie soundtrack. I relearned the songs. Kari and I spent many a time singing the words in ASL. Our teacher had to tell us to turn the music off when we played it. All of our letters at the time had at least one line from the music (Usually it was more than one line). Every word someone said sparked an impromptu Les Mis musical number. When we would play Nertz, we would sing it at the top of our lungs. When Kari told me not to mock her, I broke into Fantine's solo "Monsieur, don't mock me now I pray. It's hard enough, I've lost my pride. You let your foreman send me away, yes you were there, and turned aside!" Which sent Destinee into a fit of giggles. When I went off my phone, TV, and computer for a week, I asked my dad to make me a Les Mis CD to get me through the week. This musical was my language, love, and life.
This was January and February.
And then, the unthinkable happened.
I started to get sick of my true love.
I had seen the movie 4 times. Listened to the music a countless number of times. It was old. Mary Kate and I were in Annie, so my focus shifted towards that. Les Mis lay forgotten by the wayside.
Until now.
A few weeks ago, I decided I wasn't sick of Les Mis anymore.
I was babysitting Henry and Phinny, and as I emptied the dishwasher, I put on a playlist that included some Les Mis music. I had told Kari to come visit me (because I was bored out of my mind) and she did. When she heard "One Day More" she told me that it had been a while since she had listened to Les Mis too. We reminisced of the days when Marius was our phone backgrounds. Then I found Ricky in my laundry closet (which is a completely different story) and the topic of Les Mis was put away again.
Yesterday, I decided I wanted to watch Les Mis.
And I loved it. I almost even cried.
I have so much love for this musical.
Almost the same amount of love that I have for Disney.
But not quite.