Unexpected Narnian Moments in the Wild: A Night at Fazoli’s

Every now and then, Narnia has a way of showing up in the most unexpected places.

I was sitting down for dinner at Fazoli’s, minding my own business, when something caught my attention. At the table next to mine, a young boy and his mother had brought along a portable DVD player. On its tiny screen, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was playing. There was Lucy, walking toward the Wardrobe, still draped in its dust cover.

As I listened from my seat, I couldn’t help but notice their conversation with one of the restaurant employees. They explained that this version was new, that they loved the film, and you could hear the excitement in their voices. It was the kind of enthusiasm that only Narnia seems to inspire: pure, unfiltered joy at discovering (or rediscovering) a story that means so much.

There I was, sitting one seat over, wearing my NarniaFans beanie, smiling to myself. I didn’t interrupt. Some moments are too perfect to disturb. They’re better left to be enjoyed from a little distance, as a reminder of how deeply these stories touch lives, in places big and small; even over plates of pasta.

That evening reminded me of something important: Narnia moments aren’t confined to the pages of a book or the glow of a cinema screen. They sneak up on us in the wild: at restaurants, in parks, at airports, or in line at the grocery store, when we least expect them. And when they do, it feels a little like stepping through the Wardrobe all over again.

This is just the first in what we’re calling “Unexpected Narnian Moments in the Wild.”

Have you ever stumbled across Narnia in an ordinary place? Share your own stories with us in the comments—we’d love to hear them!

I re-wrote this from an old story from December 8, 2006. Here’s how I described it then:

I was minding my own business, eating dinner at a Fazoli’s, when I looked up and saw something that I did not expect. Lucy was walking toward the Wardrobe, still under the dust cover. At the table next to mine, a young boy and his mother were watching LWW on a portable DVD player. There I was, sitting one seat over in my NarniaFans.com beanie, and listening to them explain to one of the employees that this version was new, and that they really enjoyed the film. I didn’t interrupt though, it was a moment that was best left alone, to be enjoyed from afar.