Avengers, again?

I found myself inspired to get something accomplished this Sunday at work and stayed almost two hours later than I needed.   Again, after working for ten hours one would think I'd want to go home and nap like I sometimes do but I felt like seeing my family so Dave and I met up with my parents and my sister for the evening.   We even did something unusual for us and went to see a movie.  Dave, Laura, Ben, and I wanted to bring my dad to see the Avengers so badly that we didn't even mind the fact that it was the third time we'd be watching it.  I really thought that my dad would enjoy it (even though he hates going to see movies in the theater) and after my mom saw it and really liked, I was even more encouraged.

Sadly though, my father did not agree with the rest of us as he did not like it at all.  I couldn't help but feel badly that we all but dragged him to go see it thinking he'd find it as entertaining.   It's like dragging someone who hates eating in public to a favorite restaurant that you think would be worth it only to find out that they disliked the meal.  I think he wanted to like it especially after all the antics to pulled to get him there and he apologized for not.  We hyped it up so much and were so excited that he actually felt like he had to apologize to us.  It's not really fair on our part.  Really, I was just grateful that he came out with us at all. Bringing him to the movie theater has been an uphill battle for years so it was cool that he humored us.  It was nice just to do something outside of eating and hanging out together.

It reminded me of something important though.  You can't make anyone like something and you can't assume you will know what someone else will enjoy.  I really thought this movie would be totally up his ally but it's been a long time since we've sat together and watched movies.   His opinions may have changed.  Or maybe it's my own perspective on what I think he'd like that's been altered with the years.  It's what Dave cautions me about regularly.  Just because you like it and you hype it up doesn't mean that anyone else will and you shouldn't force it if they aren't particularly interested.  Not to mention that once you are there, you are almost too aware of the other person's reactions looking for the reasons they might not like it.  My dad, I'm sure could sense the five of us watching out of the corners of our eyes for his reactions or lack of them.  Hard to watch a movie and enjoy it when you are feeling watched yourself.

In the end, it was unfair for us to drag him there.  It wasn't that he doesn't want to see any movie in the theater; he just didn't want to see that one.  Like I said, I'm glad he came and we all are now officially in his debt.  He is now free to make us sit through some movie that we have no interest in because he wants us to watch it with him.  The next time that I speak to him, I will be sure to tell him of this.  Dad, if you are reading this before I get the chance to talk to you: think of all those movies that we thought would be stupid but you always thought we would like, we owe you.