May The Fourth's Past

My history with being a Star Wars fan dates back to the 80's. As many people are likely aware elementary schools have costume parades. We either participated in one or your kids did. It is cherished event when the kids and staff dress in that years new hot costume and parade around the quad. My dad and I bonded over the Star Wars universe while I was still a nascent stage human. By the time Return of the Jedi aired I was fully and totally in love with the Star Wars trilogy. I couldn't foresee what it would become in the future but my love of wanting to become a Jedi, and warrior of the galaxy fed nicely into my addiction to outfits.

Luckily my mom was also a master seamstress, now I just had to pester her into sewing me a Princess Leia costume from Return of the Jedi, which she did. I was a rebel celebrating the fall of the Empire. I wish I still had the masterpiece even if I couldn't fit into it. I was so excited to show off my new costume. At my age, I can't recall too many memories but I remember skipping with pride at playing my new hero. I thought for sure I would be a top pick for costume of the year. How can a princess of the universe and commander of the rebels not get top bill? Spoiler, I didn't get it! However, the fact that I don't remember that aspect but do remember the outfit shows how important just being happy and excited about things you love are, and how unimportant false recognitions can be.

This was the beginning of my love for dressing up in costumes and my journey to create happyness by chasing Star Wars memorabilia. I may get older but luckily the Star Wars franchise decided to keep aging with me. It was the summer of 1999 when Lucas Films was finally ready to bring Darth Vader arc story to the silver screen with Star Wars I: The Phantom Menace. All those Gen X babies and Boomer adults were given a whole new ray of Hope to reconnect with with a nostalgic dream that millennials were on the cusp of becoming fans too.

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1999 happened to be the summer of my freshman year in collage. I was living in Ohio hanging with my boyfriends roommate while he was out farming in the league. It was a cloudy summer's day prone to heavy mid-west rains and we had a supreme plan. Like most 90's good times among troublemakers we decided to get good and stoned, pile into a truck too small for all of us and head to the local cinema mid-day to take advantage of the cheaper daytime prices.

It might have been the most affective blunt I had taken part in ashing because by the time we got to the theater I was having issues verbalizing the name of the movie we went to watch. I stood blankly and waited to agree with the attendant to pay for whatever ticket. No matter the excitement I may have been feeling it was not strong enough to override the potent effects of quantity. We had been looking forward to this all week and it finally came on a day we were all free from work.

The next few hours glued to our seats in dark theater were spent immersed in this new universe. The visual effects departments had come such a long way since the 70s that even today people may feel are outdated. Yoda was back and kicking ass, a new protagonist was introduced and her costumes were overwhelming. I was so thrilled about the experience I honestly didn't even care about the storyline or certain characters. I only learned later of critics annoyance with Jar Jar Binx. I misread that consensus, my opinion was that he was funny and new, but then I didn't have kids walking around the house talking like him. I was geeked on that movie beyond just the summer.

Later that year when my boyfriend came home with me for a family visit we decided to plan a date at Disneyland. They already had Star Tours from the original trilogy, now they were upgrading and marketing everything for the next gen. In our present Disney bought the complete rights to Lucas Films and there seems to be no end in sight to all the spin-offs and off shoots they are capable of creating. Either way, while there my boyfriend entertained my Star Wars dorkyness. I am not sure to this day if he actually likes Star Wars but he loved me enough to buy me my first and only light saber. It was Darth Maul's famous two bladed saber!

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This next monumental moment came during my tenure at one of my favorite jobs during my time studying at ASU. As a server I worked at the most famous brewery in Tempe. So good that Budweiser would eventually purchase it and years later shutter production to prevent competition. The girls that I worked with there were part of many a story in my life and I can call friends to this day. The original owners were so good to us that not only did employees have 401Ks and health care. Our X-mas parties were epic and their drunk at work policy was lenient. As an extra bonus when the last instillation of the second coming of the Star Wars trilogy was set to hit theaters the owners, fellow Star Wars nerds, rented an entire screening on opening day for all employees.

I was so excited. After hearing about the even I went into immediate planning more to get my costume in order. I was going for classic, OG Leia, are make shift take on one of her famous white costumes. I didn't have an exact match but I tried to get as close as I could. At the time Jack-in-the-Box was collaborating with Pixar to promote Toy Story, so I went to happy meal myself toward acquiring a Buzz Lightyear's gun. With some simple mods I had a fake futuristic laser pistol which I wore in a super glued holster. Not sure society would let me carry one of those in nowadays even in Arizona.

Imagine the scene of opening day to the last of the new Star Wars trilogy. I wasn't the only one dressed up, there were fabulous fans everywhere. There were a good many dorks I worked with that were in attendance at the movie we even had a Darth Vader with his storm trooper. I wish I could remember who I was sitting with was a Jen maybe Jamie, neither of them were super fans like me so they may not have wanted to be seen with me.

The only people who are supposed to be in our reserved screening were Four Peaks employees friends and family. However there turned out to be a random couple that found their way in and sat in front of me and my friends. Right there to the left of where we were sat. At some point, as a group, all of us were talking to with our colleagues but the couple in front were outcast. Then with such vigor and entitlement the girl from the couple turned around to us and asked us without a politeness if we could move. I, of course stunned, was like what? I inquired as to who the hell they were. Seriously, I asked who are you? She tried to pick a fight with me claiming that we could sit anywhere else in the theater. My friends and I speak with our eyes when I turn to her again and asked who the hell are you and then I turn to my other friends in the theater and inquire does anyone know who this woman is? Turns out these two trespassers and pockets of entitled storm clouds of anger were in the wrong theater and not part of our group. Embarrassed, realizing their error and the position they had put themselves in they shuffled out of the theater to find seats where they belonged.

When the lights dimmed and the Dolby sound system ignited, the hairs on the back of the neck knew a galaxy far far away was coming to share a story with me.

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My last favorite memory of Star Wars comes from some of the most cherished possessions. Over the years back in the 90s and early aughts fast food restaurants would promote films in collaboration with media conglomerates. Consumers could buy combo meals and get a speciality gift with it. Like how cereal used to be. Digging to the bottom of the box to find the free figurine toy. Of all the fast food gimmicks Burger King was the king of these collaborations. They consistently had some of the best swag with the kids meals. I remember they collaborated on speciality theme watches for blockbusters such as Jurassic Park, the Rugrats, and eventually Star Wars. I don't eat fast food much these days and wasn't a heavy consumer even in their heyday but I collected all the watches I could when they were on special. And when Star Wars series hit the market I wanted the full set.

The Star Wars collection of watches came in a special tins to keep them preserved. Each with the theme characters the watches showcased. Each watch and corresponding tin came decorated with a character from the dark side and the light side. A double sided conflict such as Anakin Skywalker on one side of the watch and Lord Vader on the other. They sit on the shelf in my main room on full display this very day and every once in a while I will wear one. I used to wear them all the time, they go with everything. Out of the set I am missing one, Yoda. No matter how many different locations I hit I could not find the master Jedi watch anywhere. and I am sad to know that I may never find it.

I remember the smell of the thick plastic each time I popped the lid on the can, The reflector on the back of the time piece highlighting the winner of the conflicting drama. Again the utter excitement upon the collection of each one slowly and surely. They will always be my coolest Star Wars collectables and some of my most prized possessions.

What are some of your favorite Star Wars memories?