Nostalgia 3D

Tonight is the night.

Toy Story 3 will be hitting theatres this evening after a tremendously tormenting time lapse of about eleven years. So those kids better watch themselves because I have the ability to reserve my own tickets, which Joel did already, and we will be in the theatre well before it starts at 7PM. If all the good seats are taken, it might get chaotic. My suspense for this second sequel to one of the greatest children's movies of all time is extreme, and I will stop at nothing to see those beloved characters on the big screen once more- from a suitable seat.

I remember the night I saw the premiere screening of Toy Story 2. We were living in Manhattan, when Bill still had his career, his alcohol, and somehow his sanity. Back when I had somewhat of a little nuclear family, and we went to incredible places together and shared memorable experiences with each other. Carrie and I were two of the luckiest little girls in the world, and we didn't even realize it yet. But that night really put our situation into perspective. As we were leaving the theatre, enamored with the film we just watched before every other kid out there, waiting for the following week and its public debut, Bill got a call to rush down town for an interview with Tom Hanks before he left for Los Angeles that night. He hugged us all goodbye, and as he was walking towards the curb to call a cab I yelled, "Tell Tom I said hello!" Bill laughed and assured me that he would do just that. I had never really thought about the impact Bill had on us those first few months of living in New York. But that night- that instant- I realized all that was made possible, all I was fortunate enough to experience because of Bill's presence in our lives, and I was happy; I was safe. Life used to be so surreal. Living used to be easy.

So tonight, I cheers to the Toy Story trilogy; a cheers to the life I once had and how it transformed me into the person writing these words today; cheers to Bill and everything he did for us, to hope and happiness, missing and regret.

Oh, & cheers to Tom Hanks, of course.