Prompt: Write about a movie that made a lasting impression on you.
May The Force Be With You
Some of my memories of my youth are a little fuzzy, but I remember very clearly that warm day in 1977 when my family all piled into our station wagon and went to the now long gone Cinema East movie theater to see Star Wars. I had no idea what to expect, but at age 11, I was a precocious child with lots of energy and I filled with excitement when I saw the huge crowd of people waiting to get into the movie.
To say I was blown away by George Lucas’ masterpiece is an understatement. From the opening scrolling of “A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away” to the end sequence of Luke letting go and using the Force to blow up the evil Death Star, I was captivated in my seat. Afterwards, as we made our way to the car, my brother and I started doing cartwheels in the parking lot, we were so jacked up over what we had seen.
Throughout the summer of ‘77, my brother and I would take the COTA bus out to the theater, and watch Star Wars over and over again. I would never grow tired of Luke, Leia, Han, Ben Kenobi and Chewy fighting against Darth Vader and the Dark Side. I’ve lost count how many times I’ve seen this movie, 25-30 times? More? Enough that I can do movie quotes, my favorite one being Ben Kenobi saying, “You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy” before leading Luke into the town where they first meet Han Solo.
Perhaps it’s not so surprising that when I first came into AA in the late nineties and was told to seek solace in a Higher Power, I struggled a bit before eventually settling on The Force from Star Wars. Something that bound together rebel fighters, where they would say, “May The Force Be With You” to one another, something that if you believed in it, extraordinary things could happen, enemies could be bested and peace could be found. Importantly, this Force gave me hope. Which is what the original Star Wars chapter is entitled, “A New Hope.”
My Higher Power today, almost 50 years from that summer of ‘77 watching the Force in action, I guess I would describe as a combination of what I have learned from church, my AA community, and yes, George Lucas. Hey, whatever works for each individual is fine, with the important thing being, if all goes well I will celebrate 7 years of sobriety on May 1, so something is working for me.
We have the Disney channel now, so if I want to watch Star Wars again, it’s available 24/7. But honestly, there’s nothing like seeing that movie on the big screen, in a crowded movie theater, punching your baby brother’s arm because you’re so excited by a soon-to-be classic tale of good versus evil unfolding before your eyes. I’m grateful for the opportunity to have my childhood imagination shaped by Star Wars magic. And I still say today, when the occasion calls for it, “May the force be with you.” Nothing wrong with that.
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