May The Fourth Be With You

The original Star Wars movie (“A New Hope”) came out in May of 1977. I was 18 years old, had graduated from high school and just completed my first semester of university.

I was going to school on the prairies; however, I was back on the west coast as I had a summer job waiting for me there. I moved back into my old room in my parent’s house. I was an adult but there was an underlying duty to be a daughter once again.

I remember my friends, who I missed dearly, wanted to go as a group to see this first new “high tech” Sci-Fi movie! I told my mother that I wouldn’t be home after work and would probably be late. In those days, you couldn’t reserve tickets ahead through the internet so lines for premieres were long.

My mother usually encouraged me to go out with my friends but the look on her face, this time, was one I hadn’t seen for awhile. “I don’t want you going to that movie.” I was stunned. Here I was, 18 years old, living away from my parents for much of the last 2 years and my mom is telling me I can’t choose what movies I see. I stood there and just said “why?”.

Her answer was one I realized as the word came out of my mouth. She didn’t like me reading science fiction while I was growing up so books like “Dune”, “The Hobbit”, etc. were read at night before I went to sleep (to help drown out the fighting). Then my friends and I would excitedly discuss them at school the next day. I couldn’t get enough and never knew why I wasn’t supposed to read such incredible writing.

For whatever reason, and with disappointment, I “obeyed” and stayed home. I kept this in my heart and didn’t see any of the original three movies in the theatre. I am not sure why; however, it was a pattern when my mother made my mind up for me. I did and still do love her and have forgiven her as well as myself, though this happened after she passed. This is not about bad parenting, just part of my Star Wars story.

I finally watched “A New Hope” on TV. But it wasn’t until I met my wonderful Hubby that I saw all the movies. We had a marathon of the original three with a bunch of friends shortly before the first prequel came out in theatres. Then we saw all three of that series in theatres when they first came out. I have seen the “Hobbit”/”Lord Of The Rings” series, the “Narnia” movies, everything I can.  Oh, I can’t forget “Divergent”, “The Hunger Games”, and “Tron”.

There is a lot of Sci-Fi and Fantasy that doesn’t interest me and I don’t bother with those. However, it is nice to have the force awakened in me!

Lydia!