A long time ago…

1977 actually, in a sticky-floored movie theater in Garland, TX.  I don’t remember wanting to see this new space movie everyone was talking about, but I’m sure I had seen the commercials and bugged my parents into taking me.  And I hate to sound cliche’, or make a bigger thing out of a movie than it should be; but my life actually changed when I first saw Star Wars.  George Lucas gave me a world with which to fill my imagination, a place to go in my head when reality was either too much or not enough.  I learned how to daydream, how to escape.  And yes, escapism is the reason that movies, books, plays and songs exist for us humans; but maybe this film just hit me at the right time and stuck with me for good.

In the pre-VCR and cable days, all you could do when your favorite movie wasn’t at the theater was beg your parents for the toys and create or recreate the story on your bedroom floor.  It also meant that when I saw the TV ad for the theatrical re-release of what was now called “Episode IV”, I actually leapt up from the couch and ran around the house screaming like I was on fire.  And in the pre-internet days, finding information about new movies could be considered a Herculean task by today’s standards.  You might see something on the news, or more likely Leonard Maltin would mention it on his show.  I remember scanning magazine racks regularly for any mention of Luke, Leia, Han, Darth, Jedi, Rebellion… basically my brain knew how to do a visual keyword search decades before “hashtag” was a word.

But let’s back up a second.  Episode IV?  But I thought it was the FIRST movie?  And here we have the beginnings of what was – either accidentally or not – the most ingenious way to hype what would become a series of a rumored NINE chapters of this “space opera” from the mind of Lucas.  It certainly kept my mind reeling for many many years.  Once we found out that there were definitely three movies coming out, those years in between seemed like light years, but in the late 70’s and early 80’s we didn’t have hyperdrives in Texas.  So we waited, and waited, and waited in line for hours to see the Empire Strikes Back.  And the cliffhanger ending was more excruciating than anything a nine year old boy should have to endure, especially since Han had firmly established himself as my favorite character the second he took off on that Tauntaun in search of Luke.  [Brief aside: I’m typing this with my dog Harrison snuggled in my lap]
Of course by the time Return of the Jedi came out, it was common knowledge that this was a trilogy of films.  But why chapters IV-VI?  Eventually we learned that Lucas had “written” a huge backstory around the first filmed chapter, but repeatedly claimed that the other six chapters would most likely never see the light of day.

Jump through hyperspace to 1997ish: Episodes I-III are being made!!!!!!

Fast forward to 1999.  Uuuuuhhhhh…..what the fuck did I just watch?  Yeah, let’s just cruise on past 2002 and 2005 and say that while there are supposedly 9 parts to this story, only 3 are worth watching more than once.  So far.

Present day, December 2015.  In less than two weeks, me and billions of other people will have finally seen the beginning of the final three chapters in a story that we’ve been waiting a lifetime for.  And I think it’s fair to say that despite the letdown of those other three movies, hopes are high.  J.J. Abrams has done some wonderful things and is so much a fan of the material that he refused the job at first for fear of failure.  But from what we’ve seen to date, it does look astoundingly awesome.  Yeah, trailers are supposed to do that.  But when I saw that first one, although I didn’t quite jump up off the couch screaming I did get major goosebumps, a lump in my throat, tears in my eyes and a huge smile on my face.

And so I wait.  Again.

And if you think this is all a bit ridiculous, just think about what makes you giddy like a child.  Puppies?  Sports?  Drugs?
We all need something to distract us occasionally, because for most of us dealing with reality 100% of the time is just too much.  And maybe some people take the distraction a little “too far”, but it’s harmless fun at the end of the day.  At least in that galaxy far, far away the war is imaginary. The death is not real.  But you can still love and hate, and cheer and hope, feel fear and victory, or just forget about this world for a little while.

I’ve never actually said this phrase before, but since I’m fully flying my geek flag here:

May the Force be with you. Always.