THE STARCOURT FOODCOURT

“STRANGER THINGS” has reached its finale. For me, it was actually a very special drama series. It began in 2016, during my difficult time right after I went independent, a period filled with anxiety and loneliness. It was also when I first started watching streaming services as a new kind of medium. Over the past ten years, I’ve spent time with Eleven, the others, and the people of Hawkins (including the monsters from the Upside Down), receiving courage from them and being pushed forward again and again. As I watched them grow through the story, I was also growing in the “real world,” the story’s own kind of Upside Down—struggling, tracing connections, and finding my way forward in much the same way. It’s sad to think that I won’t be seeing them anymore. But there’s always a way to return to this “town.” This isn’t a story about saying goodbye. As symbolized by D&D (the table-talk RPG) at both the beginning and the end, the “story” already lives within us. By recalling that world and those characters, and “table-talking” it in our minds, we can create new stories at any time. Among the many stories born inside us, they will continue to live on forever. There, they’ll meet again and keep adventuring. As long as we don’t forget, it’s always “here.” Thank you, “STRANGER THINGS” 🙏🫶👍😍