So, it's the nerdiest of holidays, May the Fourth, also known as Star Wars Day, the unofficial National Holiday revered by every Star Wars fan out there. If you don't know what Star Wars is, please go back to the rock you've been living under, you are not wanted here. I thought to celebrate, it would be fun to talk about what Star Wars means to me. The very first movie I saw as a child was Pete's Dragon in 1977, at the ripe old age of 2. Apparently, I was obsessed with Pete's bleeps, bloops and other nonsense noises that came out of him because I was would mimic those sounds for months. Star Wars came out the same year and I was obviously too young to go see it. I'm still amazed I got to go see Pete's Dragon. So, I did not get to see Star Wars when it first came out. Nor did I get to experience the phenomenon first hand. It wasn't until years later when the movie started playing all the time on Select TV did I get to crap my no longer diapered pants at the sight of tie fighters, x-wings, light saber battles, blasters and the Death Star. I would go over to my friends house all the time just to watch it. Selfish me. All my friends had all the toys, I had none. I had Lego and Construx toys. Great toys, honestly, but to me, I was left out of the Star Wars craze. Movieless and toyless, I would spend as much time as I could with friends who had the movie and the toys. I loved Star Wars. All of my quarters went to playing the Star Wars video game. And when the Empire Strikes Back came out, I begged my Dad to take me. My Mom thought I was a bit young at 5 but Dad sort of took me anyways. It was amazing! My dreams were vivid Star Wars fantasies. Star Wars taught me that there were other worlds out there to explore, imaginary and real. And it taught me to create. I didn't have the toys to play with at home. So, what did I do? I created and built my own worlds. Lego and Construx made it easy to make up my own dimension. Star Wars planted the seeds early in my life that would lead to a passion for seeking out adventure and mayhem in other worlds, through movies, books and even my own imagination. Every day became a day to create and do something new.
Star Wars was the stepping stone to everything else: fantasy, sci-fi, comics, literature. Without Star Wars, would I know who Drizzt DoUrden was? Or Indiana Jones? Or Bilbo Baggins? Sydney Carton? Who would Joss Whedon become? Would there be no Firefly? Star Wars inspired so many to create so much more. Even if I had opened my eyes up to new worlds, would there be the same amount of worlds to explore, if Star Wars had not inspired others? So, on this May the Fourth, I have to say thank you Star Wars for teaching me to dream and create, and to open my heart and mind to new possibilities. And indeed, May the Fourth be with you! |
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