Albus Dumbledore

Thursday, May 6th, 2004 | Uncategorized

So I’m reading Harry Potter…

I know, I know, don’t start. I held out as long as I could, but I finally saw the movies, and then I needed some books to read in Spanish that had a good story and wouldn’t be too hard. And well, I just finished book number 2, in Spanish.

But ANYWAY.

Albus Dumbledore is an interesting proposition.

In the books Dumbledore is always perfectly balanced, in that you can’t really surprise him. Always full of joy, always smiling, laughing, and childlike in that he takes pleasure in simple things like hot chocolate, or orange sherbet. Extremely wise. Intelligent. Understanding.

He comes across as many of the things I want to be. In a lot of ways, he comes across as my idea of the perfect father.

I saw “Cheaper by the Dozen” with Steve Martin yesterday. It’s weird how similar Steve Martin’s character, the father of 12 and a football coach to boot, is to Dumbledore. Steve Martin’s character basically rides the hurricane that is his household and “fits”, he seems comfortable in the chaos. And he gives back, in the same way, as Dumbledore, with a smile, and by feeding energy back into the chaos instead of trying to control it and kill it. Of course the movie is about him losing his balance, but that’s kind of beside my point. I REALLY like the picture he paints of being able to balance patience, joy, wisdom, understanding.

How do you get to that? In my life I touch on one piece of that and sometimes stay there for a little bit, before forgetting about that one piece while I concentrate on another.

I think joy is the thing I have the most trouble with. I can be happy, for me happiness is a decision I’ve learned to make (and it’s a good one). But to be joyful… To share that joy with everyone. I am like that when I’m in love, I suppose we all are. But to have that all the time…

How do you learn that?

3 Comments to Albus Dumbledore

?
May 6, 2004

i too would like to learn how dumbledore managed to be all wise, understanding, joyful and patient coz i too like to be like him and to meet people like him. : ) maybe, one factor is time – he had a lot of time to learn and develop these traits. : )

?
May 6, 2004

re joy . . . i think i have an idea on how to tap it but i have not yet consciously applied it. i just sometimes catch myself immersed in such an experience.

i think the clue is when you immerse yourself in a moment – enjoying it with your eyes, taste, body, all your senses and mind. simple pleasures you know and just letting go. does this make sense? : )

jeremy
May 6, 2004

cool, yeah it kinda does, sounds like living in moments, and eventually just living in the moment. I remember knowing that at one point… But I really like the idea of using all your senses to help you hone in on that one moment

gracias

Search