May the Fourth be with you!

I am of a ‘particular age’. The first movie I saw in a theatre was Star Wars.  I went with my best friend Jeff Dyck and our respective fathers. We lined up and waited through at least one showing - a true block-buster. It may have been two showings - I cannot remember. I do remember our Dads took turns walking home to get food to tide us over as we baked in the sun. You only get one chance to make a first impression, and this one was a real doozie. For a first movie experience, you cannot get any better than Star Wars. I am not sure how many times I saw it that year - but I know it was over five. I still watch it from time to time, and while some of the effects are not what they are today, it still transports me to back to being a seven year old.

I had Star Wars action figures, bed sheets, and my parents even sprang for a few rolls of Star Wars wallpaper - enough to do one wall. I still have all my Star Wars trading cards - multiple complete sets I might add. For Christmas one year, Jill and the boys gave me a Lego Millennium Falcon and I am not sure who was more excited about it - me or the kids. I am still a sucker for Star Wars themed t-shirts and buy them whenever I see them.

When Episode One came out, our kids were the age I was in 1977 - it was perfect. I called my Dad and invited him to come with us. We sat there, all lined up in the theatre, and that first musical note gave me goose bumps - with my Dad on one side and the kids on the other - it was pretty awesome.

I woke up the other morning to a link from Riley - the time signature would suggest a stern talking to is in order - and confirms that we officially have a teenager - I am no longer the last one to go to bed anymore. It was a link to a trailer for the upcoming Star Wars movie. It looked pretty awesome - what you would expect from a Star Wars trailer, but I was not expecting the four seconds between 1:33 and 1:37. The voice was unmistakable, and the hair on my arms stood up - I think I may have started tearing up a little. I know that four seconds was aimed directly at me, but frankly - I don’t even care, and if I am totally honest, I love them for it. It was unexpected and set the stage for a great day (Jill would say I have a secret crush on Harrison Ford).

I thanked Riley and told him that I got goosebumps - he said he did as well. I then emailed the link to my Dad.

It seemed like an appropriate post for May the fourth (be with you). Yes - that is me on the left in my Star Wars shirt - Chewie with his crossbow and Han with his blaster - just like trading card No.111 (go on, betcha can’t stop yourself from googling it).