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  • Meghan Dhawan (May-Gan The-One) shared a letter in the Group logo of To the people we loveTo the people we love group 1 year, 4 months ago

    The Intergenerational Path of Cinephiles and The Burning Desire to Keep Them Alive

    Dear future cinephile, the child born into the next generation,

    Hey, there, kid. You do not know me, nor will we cross paths, at least, not for a long time. However, I do know you. You are the chosen one, the child who will bring kindness and good fortune to those around you, who will be kind to the old people in grocery stores and pick up the soup for them on the high shelves as you stand on your tiptoes, your half centimeter shortness in height the only barrier between you two, preventing you from making sure that grandma gets her eight cans of tomato basil to nourish her for the week. You will persevere, perspire, and keep your balance steady as you bring yourself to the correct measurement to obtain that soup. Justice for grandma’s tummy! 

    Okay, maybe that was a little dramatic. I tend to behave like a kid. 

    Look at me, writing “Justice for grandma’s tummy” at 23 years of age. Grow up, Meghan! Jeez. 

    You might think I sound like the grandma who needs the soup from my tangent, but you must know that I have always been a grandma – or, a grandpa, for that matter. 

    You see, my grandpa was a cinephile of sorts. Basically, that means that he really liked movies. But he liked movies in a different way than most people. My grandpa and my grandma gave birth to four children, my father, my aunt, and my two uncles. They were all under the care of my grandparents, and all have different types of personalities, yet all come from the same couple. What brought my father, his siblings and my grandpa together were their visits to the local movie theatre. Basically, my grandpa took my father and his siblings to the movies when he wanted to bond with them. They would see whatever new movie was playing and would be cooped up in tiny seats next to one another, watching the screen with wide eyes in the dimly lit space. You see, movies were a way for families to come together and see something new, cool, and at times, innovative. My grandpa did not have the technology and ability to watch films in theatres when he was a kid, so he made it his personal mission to take his children to see them in person. 

    My grandpa, my father, and his siblings lived in India, and because of this, the theatres operate in a different way than in the United States. Films that were played in India had intermissions, just like how they do in modern Broadway plays, productions, and musicals. When this would happen, my grandpa would be the first one out of the theatre, cash in hand, ready to pick up the first, fresh batch of popcorn and concessions the theatre had to offer. It was at that moment my father and his siblings would reconvene with my grandpa and grandma in the lobby, munching on snacks and discussing a bit about the film they were watching, their eyes still glowing with excitement from the imagery displayed on the screen. 

    Flash forward thirty (30+) years later, and my father is in his mid-40s, taking my sister, mother, and I to the theatres for movie nights. We always bought food and drinks before the movie started, as there were no intermissions during the films in the United States, and there still aren’t. This left little room for us to bond about the film halfway through and had forced us to determine if the middle of the movie had past or not. Regardless, after the film had finished, I would be racing to the car, bursting with thoughts on the film, ready to tell my father everything I thought about the film. He did not care as much about my opinion, which is something I did not realize until much later in my life and made me very sad. However, I then discovered that he did the same with my grandpa, and my father felt sad when my grandpa did not pay attention to him. 

    I NEVER want that to happen to you, love. I want you to have fun with your family, to watch every movie that you want to see, to eat all the popcorn, tell your parents all your theories on who the villain was, and why grandma needs her tomato basil soup!!

    In all seriousness, I know I do not know you, and you do not know me, but I need you to know that I love you. You ARE the chosen one, though. The first of many movie clichés that will riddle your existence and provide you the ability to understand complex subject matter around you in the form of moving pictures. You may not be a boy, but you are my Harry Potter, my Luke Skywalker, and my best friend. The fact that you are here, and reading this letter, is good enough for me. Go out there and do some good, kid. It’s your destiny.

    Okay, no more clichés. Scout’s honor. 

    Thank you, my love. 

    <3 Meghan

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    • @meghan_dhawan Meghan – This is a great letter. You are a very good storyteller. I also related to your letter a lot. To this day, I still watch movies with my dad almost every night when I am home. And I am sure your dad cared about your opinion, he just may have had a funny way of showing it. Love your story. Thank you for sharing and being a part of The Unsealed family <3 Lauren

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      • @theunsealed Hi Lauren, thank you so much for your kind words. I’m touched that you found relatability with it. I would love to hear more about your stories watching movies with your dad. Thank you again, I’m glad to be a part of the family ❤
        – Meghan

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        • We mostly watched movies every sunday night when i was growing. When I was really young I used to cuddle with my dad on the couch, but at about 6 he told me I was too old. TO this day, he still loves watching movies with me. It’s an escape for him – a time for us to be still and be together. @abrill21

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    • This story is so relatable for me because I myself used to hang out with my siblings and mom and go to the movie theaters to the point where we sneaked into another movie playing. Your story is so good. I know your future child will be able to share the same experience you had with your family and share it with you or their future children.

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      • Thank you for your sweet words, Kayjah! I am touched that my letter resonated with you like this. I hope that future children in the world can have these same experiences with their parents/guardians, too. Do you, your siblings and your mom still frequent the cinemas together?

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