It’s 1977. I was asleep. There was an explosion.
At two years old I still am awed that my father took me to the theater. It was him, my brother, and myself. The boys of the family. The men.
My father always enjoyed a good sci-fi. Star Trek (Captain Kirk) syndicated was so much fun to watch with him. And, there were always novels strewn about the house with topics regarding all manner of fictional science and fantasy. My dad even bought, for my boys, a large selection of Tom Corbett, Space Cadet, by Carey Rockwell, and other such books.
If I had to pick between the Star Trek and Star Wars universes, I would have to pick Star Wars. While I prefer the driving idea of Star Trek more, I love the creative and varied tech and aliens of Star Wars much more. And, while I am a fan, I am not a die-hard superfan (I write this knowing full well that three clone troopers are looking right at me, as well as the Mandalorian and Han Solo, also, my Chewbacca Nerf bowcaster is two feet behind me). I just enjoy the science and the fiction. A lot.
At any rate, like I was saying earlier, I remember sitting in the theater with my father and brother, watching that big yellow text crawl across the screen. I was in complete and total awe. Then the action…! Laser blasts and explosions in the first few seconds! Robots (I know: Droids)! Aliens all over the place. A cool dude just shoots a green ant-like man for no reason (Han shot first!)! There was so much! Now, since I have seen the Star Wars movies countless times over the years, it is hard to recall exactly when I fell asleep at the first viewing. Again, I was two.
I remember seeing the bulk of the first third to half—if not more—of the film. Then I awoke to a huge explosion (the Death Star) and wondered what could come next. The end. Of course. That’s when I found out I had fallen asleep. Oh well. It was still super cool and I was glad to be a part of it. It is a cherished family memory for me.
The whole “May the fourth be with you.” is relatively new to me. I heard about it about five or so years ago (after the 4th) and my family has just had fun with the saying of it. Eventually, I got a Han Solo frozen in carbonite silicon ice cube maker. Think about it. It’s perfect for ice… Then a few more silicon molds came along and now I make chocolate. Yup. I’m a Willy Wonka wannabe.
This whole read may not be making much sense. Sorry for that. My point is that I like today. I enjoy the fan-nerdiness of it all. I like making chocolates, gathering with whoever wants to join, and watching a Star Wars something in the evening. My family doesn’t do much more than that, and that’s okay. If your family does something fun or interesting for May the Fourth, please, feel free to share in the comments section, below.
May the fourth be with you, and I hope your day is a good one.
Almost Heroes 