The first Toy Story premiered in 1995. Think back 15 years. I was only 12, a scrawny little middle school kid that had just moved from Kentucky to the Atlanta suburbs. I saw Toy Story in the theater 3 times. It was the first time most of us had ever seen computer animation and we were all enthralled! I couldn’t believe how life like it all seemed! I loved it so much that when it came out on VHS I had to own it. The 2nd Toy Story premiered 4 years later. Do you remember what you were doing in 1999? I was a busy, wild, but not too wild 16 year old living in the Dallas suburbs. When I saw Toy Story 2 I was with my family and my future husband. Of course we were just friends back then, in fact the second time I went to see Toy Story 2 I was on a date with another guy. I just checked my journal to verify this, because I would not have remembered it otherwise. Now here we are 15 years later in 2010 and I am about to be 28. I just saw Toy Story 3 for the first time yesterday with my parents, husband, and two children.

It was Z’s first movie theater experience and it was a good one. Throughout the film the whole audience would simultaneously erupt with laughter, gasp at the suspense, and even fight to hold back tears. Some could argue that the movie itself wasn’t terribly dramatic, but it evoked a lot emotion in me. I’ve got history with these toys. The beloved characters that taught me so much. In the first movie I learned about being true to myself and realizing my calling. The second Toy Story taught me about loyalty and this last movie was really a lesson in growing up and letting go.

From being a kid myself and experiencing computer animation for the first time, to watching my kid light up at the sight of the toys on the big screen for the first time, the Toy Story movies will always be special to me I guess you could say to infinity and beyond.