Walking the Wall

You know, I spent a good deal of money and half a semester of my life
studying Star Wars/Joseph Campbell/The Hero’s Journey and etc. in my
Mythology class–and it was all fascinating. We watched the first (last)
three movies, picked them apart, read the movie scripts, saw interviews
with Campbell and Lucas, wrote papers and discussed the ideas and
symbols and meaning for a number of weeks–and it was all
fascinating–and interesting–and informative. BUT. We went to see Star
Wars: Revenge of the Sith last night with my family and it was a great
deal of FUN and I didn’t one time think “Oh, wow, that is a symbol for
this, and Anakin was at the cusp of his journey and he could have gone
this direction towards the hero’s path but instead turned this way” and
etc. Now, when I see it again at home, I will probably do that because
I actually enjoy doing those types of things, but it didn’t even cross
my mind last night sitting in the theater next to my son and my sister.
I remember going to Empire Strikes Back when it first came out with my
dad, my older brother, and my younger brother Craig. Craig was
terrified of Yoda and my dad had to leave the theater, take him home,
and then come back to finish watching the movie with my older brother
and I–this is family lore, the kindof story to tell as we are driving
to see this latest and last installment of Star Wars after picking up
my dad and my two youngest sisters who weren’t even BORN when Empire
Strikes Back came out–”Hey Dad, do you remember when we went and saw
Empire Strikes Back and…” Laughter fills the van without even having
to finish the sentence and my sister (who wasn’t even born) laughs,
“Oh, Craig was afraid of Yoda!”

The lights dimmed down and the Coming Attractions were finished, and
the words “Long ago in a galaxy far far away…” scroll across the
screen, my husband leans forward and grins across our excited two
children, my sister elbows me and we all cheer and clap and whistle
with the rest of the crowd–a whole room of strangers pulled together
in one shared moment. My kids thought that was so great, everyone
cheering, a couple light sabors glowed blue in the darkness and waved
in the air. Someday when they release the “new, new, improved and
remastered” version of Star Wars and my children and I are going to the
theater with my grandchildren, it will be My Kids looking back and
saying, “Mom, Dad, do you remember when we went and saw Revenge of the
Sith and…”

Family myth–its an amazing phenomenon.