Your Childhood Theater
Do you remember how magical movies used to feel?
If you’re a fan of HGTV, you might have heard of the small town of Laurel, MS, which serves as the setting for the show, Home Town. I was born and raised in Laurel. It’s my home town. And a place of significance in the small town of Laurel was the Sawmill Square Mall.
The mall was built at the location of (you guessed it) a former sawmill and is still around today. I have so many memories from that mall.
I remember riding bikes through the mall with my friends. Yes, bikes. If you’re thinking that you weren’t allowed to ride bikes through the malls you grew up in, we weren’t either. But we did it once and didn’t get caught. It was fun.
I also remember talking to my friend - who was working in the music store at the time - when our conversation came to an abrupt stop as the store alarm began to sound. We looked up to realize someone was shoplifting! We both gave chase, but the thief proved too fast that evening.
Of all the spaces I visited in this mall, they come in a distant second to the Sawmill Square Cinema 5. I was formed in this theater. I was shaped by good and bad movies. I was shaped by getting kicked out of R-rated movies I tried to sneak into. I was shaped during the summer when my friend was a manager and we got to watch movies after hours.
The movie theater actually had curtains that would raise when it was time to start the movie. I haven’t visited a theater in quite some time with this feature. The curtains were designed like the old theater drapes and, as the lights would dim, they would slowly rise and I was captivated. It was a signal that I was about to be transported somewhere - it was truly magical.
But as we grow older, movie theaters can become like visiting anything else; the novelty wears off. Been there, done that. There’s a song by Ben Rector entitled, Dream On, which contains the following lyrics:
When I was younger I played make believe. Now when I close my eyes I just fall asleep. If you live long enough, life will make you believe that they’re gone…But dream on…
Adulthood often seems to be synonymous with cynicism. Life has a way of hardening us, and that’s understandable, to a degree. Time breeds callouses, heartache, pain, trauma and loss, which takes a toll.
This is one of the many reasons why children are a gift.
By God’s grace, we get to see life through their eyes. Some of their excitement and joy is imparted to us as they encounter this world. What’s bland and boring transforms into a miraculous wonder to behold through their young hearts and minds.
You might be scanning this article, as you plan to jump back into your inbox, scroll social media or read something more interesting. But let me encourage you to stop being a hardened adult for a few seconds.
Before you continue reading on, take a breath, pause, and really measure this question - How are you? Are you feeling a little cynical? Hardened to life? Depressed or discouraged? Maybe it’s time to go to the movies. Enjoy the smell of popcorn that meets you at the door. Let the darkness of the theater wash over you as the previews prepare you for a journey away from the office, away from your work, away from whatever adult things are vying for your attention.
Do it! You have my permission. If possible, takes some kids with you.