#SOL: Under the Spell

Out of the corner of my eye, I notice my dad handing me the bag of popcorn. I guess my son finally decided a large bag is more than he can eat by himself. I lean forward, turn my head to the left, and see him three seats away. The light from the screen reflects back onto him, slowly reeling a long string of licorice into his mouth. There’s a chance he wants me to save the popcorn for him, but now is not the time for a conversation.

I balance the bag of popcorn on my leg and focus my attention back on the screen. IMAX is amazing, and this movie is in 3D, so it’s even more captivating. Still, it’s no match for movie theater popcorn within arm’s reach. I resist for maybe 30 seconds. My eyes never leave the screen, but my hand makes its way into the bag, bring two pieces up to my mouth. The salt level is more than I would tolerate on anything I eat for a meal, and the oil coats my tongue with an unnatural greasy film. Still, after just a short pause, my hand goes back for another dip, another few popped kernels.

The next thing I know, a small handful of popcorn is making its way to my mouth. Four crunches later, my hand is back in the bag, making sure that the next round is ready as soon as I swallow.

Somehow, I take my eyes off the screen long enough to see that the popcorn level has dropped about two inches, and that’s enough to break the spell of sensory overload. I pass the bag to my left before I have time to take another bite. I sure hope that someone keeps it down there for the rest of the movie. I wipe my hand on the thin, paper napkin, wishing I had a drink or candy to help remove the traces of movie theater popcorn from my mouth.