– “Mom, have you seen any Star Wars movies?”
– “I can’t quite remember.”
– “No, seriously, which ones? One, two, three, four, five, or six?”
– “Maybe one?”
– “A New Hope?”
– “I suppose.”
– “Did you catch the one where Han Solo gets frozen in carbonite?”
– “I think so?”
– “And Princess Leia comes to rescue him! Guess who else is with her?”
– “I don’t know.”
– “Take a wild guess.”
– “Luke?”
– “No!”
– “Then I have no clue.”
– “Okay, here’s a hint: he’s big, hairy, and makes a noise like HNEUW HNEUW HNEUW.”
– “Oh! Chewbacca?”
– “YES! And she brings R2-D2 and C-3PO.”
– “R2D-TOON.”
– “No, it’s R2-D2. No ‘N’ at the end.”
– “Fine, if you say so.”
– “Did you see the one where Darth Vader fights the Emperor?”
– “No, I don’t think so.”
– “He does, because the Emperor is a Sith.”
– “Are Sith bad?”
– “Yep, they’re the villains. Jedi are the heroes.”
– “Oh.”
– “Did you see the one where Yoda dies?”
– “I can’t remember.”
– “Matthew has watched all ten movies, even number nine!”
– “Honey, there are only six.”
– “No, he insists he saw the ninth one!”
– “But there’s only six.”
– “Mom! He SAW NUMBER NINE!”
– “Okay, if you say so.”
– “In the first movie, you get to see Anakin Skywalker at just one year old. Guess how old?”
– “Nine?”
– “YES! And guess who he turns into?”
– “Who?”
– “Here’s a hint: his name starts with DV.”
– “Darth Vader?”
– “YES! And who else appears?”
– “No idea.”
– “Guess!”
– “No thanks.”
– “Alright, hint: he wields four lightsabers.”
– “General Grievous!”
– “YES! How did you know?”
– “You mentioned it yesterday. And the day before. And the day before that… it’s like a never-ending cycle!”
Confession time: I navigated the first 38 years of my life without watching a single Star Wars movie. Well, that’s not entirely true—I vaguely remember being taken to see Return of the Jedi but was left utterly baffled by the plot and the hype surrounding it.
My early disinterest stemmed from a classic boy-girl divide. My older brother and cousins were all about spaceships and light sabers while I was more into gymnastics and baking. Yet, as I grew up, I discovered that many girls my age loved Star Wars too. I started to realize that my indifference was less about gender and more about my quirky relationship with pop culture. In seventh grade, while others were buying teen magazines and humming Duran Duran songs, I was lost in the world of musicals, proudly displaying a picture of Andrew Ridgeley in my locker while secretly preferring the Chorus Line soundtrack.
Eventually, I embraced my status as the lone North American child of the ’80s who had never seen the films. It turned into a fun conversation starter at parties, and my lack of exposure to what some call “the sacred texts of our generation” became a quirky badge of honor.
I intended to maintain my Lucas refusenik status until I became a parent. Then, my son came home from a sleepover bursting with excitement about light sabers. Suddenly, my home was filled with the sounds of “light saber this” and “light saber that.” I even found myself in an intense game of pretend where my son, wielding a toy light saber, tried to coax his little brother into joining the dark side.
By summer’s end, I finally caved. I agreed to watch the original trilogy, hoping to be swept away by the magic that my kids adored. I wanted to experience that sense of wonder. Yet, despite my eagerness, I found the films entertaining but not captivating enough to hold my complete attention. I even snuck out during the last ten minutes of The Empire Strikes Back for an airport run.
Still, knowing what everyone else is talking about has its perks. As annoying as the endless Star Wars quizzes from my son can be, I can’t imagine how much more tedious they would be if I were completely in the dark. Watching the movies has even enriched my reading experience. When authors reference characters or scenes, I can finally grasp the context!
As Halloween approaches, I’m not sure if we can pull off a General Grievous costume (my son has his eyes on four light sabers). But I’m secretly hoping they’ll both want to dress up as Darth Vader—big and little versions. Imagine the fun of our entire family decked out in black, ready to conquer the universe!
In summary, while my journey into the Star Wars universe may have been delayed, it’s been a rewarding experience blending into my kids’ world. Who knows, maybe I’ll even find a way to incorporate this new knowledge into our daily lives. And if you’re interested in exploring more about home insemination or boosting fertility through supplements, check these out!