The other day a co-worker asked me the question, “what do you like the most about Star Wars?” He was probably expecting me to say the lightsabers, or Yoda, or the Force. Instead I said, “I like that it always challenges you to be the best version of yourself.” It wasn’t the answer he was expecting. And it wasn’t an answer I had prepared. It was an instinctual response. I do love the lightsabers, I obviously love Yoda, and I get depressed when I realize I’ll never be able to use the Force. But my love for Star Wars is so much deeper than that. Over the last few days I’ve thought a lot about why that was my response. Let me take you on a journey through that process…
People seem to have this idea in their heads of what I mean when I say I am a Star Wars fan- and then when they talk to me a little bit more they change from understanding to concern. They haven’t heard of the 100+ books that I’ve read. They didn’t realize there WERE Star Wars books. When I say I want to wear a Kylo Ren shirt every day for a week before The Last Jedi, they can’t believe I have seven shirts of the same character. Forget having seven Star Wars shirts.
The feelings of fandom can be intense. At risk of being heretical to my own personal faith, it’s practically religious. We follow the newest readings and memorize the minutia of canon. We congregate at conventions to look upon the leaders of our culture. We await the trailers as if they’re oracles prophesying our future. So what causes this? And how does that make me want to be a better person?
The Galaxy Far, Far Away has been on a real hope kick. Everything is about hope, the Rebellion is hope, the Resistance is hope. It seems corny but hope is vital. I believe humanity has a tendency to be cynical or sad. Sometimes it feels like life is moving closer to entropy every day. Why should we do the right thing or work hard? Why should we keep going with it feels like everything tells us to just say “forget it”? Well, because there’s hope. There’s hope that we can grow, can be better, that ultimately the right thing will take us the right way. THAT is what Star Wars inspires. The farmboy can save the galaxy. The scoundrel can be a hero. The most monstrous of villains can love. Robots can have feelings. No matter who you are or where you are your destiny is before you. We all are meant to do something.
But it’s more than feeling like you’re the hero. It’s more than wanting to be the good guy. Look at the real world organization: The 501st. It’s a group of fans who create hand made cosplay of the villains of the Star Wars universe. They put time, effort,and love into this and what do they do? Visit hospitals, show up for charity walks, entertain in parades. They like to say “bad guys doing good”. It’s a love for Star Wars that compels fans to become the villains and go do good! There has to be something more to the story for a group like this to form.
I think is Star Wars is a unique morality tale. There’s good and evil. There’s right and there’s wrong. But Star Wars doesn’t judge you. Whether your a Sith striving for gain or a Jedi at the service of the Republic there’s something that speaks to that part of ourselves that wants to be better. Not the good parts, not the bad parts. It speaks to the part that wants to grow, to change. That is why Star Wars is so universal. We all want to change somehow. We all want to grow in some way. Star Wars says you can be who you are but you don’t have to stay what you are. There’s something about being called to with no reservations that ultimately breaks the cynicism we can so easily find ourselves in. We’re called to be our best, whatever that means to us. That freedom to find ourselves leads to wanting to help more than just ourselves. It’s the judgement or moral grandstanding that pushes people away. That is the cautionary tail of the Jedi Order. The Guardians of Peace and Justice grew arrogant and lost themselves. The Empire that followed meant peace and order to those who believed in it, but they too were failed by the evil at its core. The Jedi forgot what made them Jedi. No Sith ever thought himself evil. So then what will you be?
Star Wars is a series in motion. Nothing is static. It’s about change. We spend time with a cast in one trilogy and then we’re on to new faces in the next. It spans generations. Both within the films and with its fans. We have a third generation Skywalker on the screen right now. Grandparents take their grandkids to see these newest films. It’s a series that ties into nostalgia, yes. But in a way that makes you want to continue to hope into the future. I remember being a little kid just after The Phantom Menace came out playing on my deck steps. I was a Jedi sent to rescue Queen Amidala from the droids. In a faux-electronic voice I’d say “Captain take them to camp 4… Roger Roger”. I’d jump from the balcony (my deck) with Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan and deflect blaster bolts (water from a sprinkler) with my lightsaber (a plastic bat). And I would do this for HOURS. Then I felt like I could save the galaxy. Now, when I watch Star Wars I still feel like I can take on the universe. No matter how unmotivated or disheartened I am. I still want the journey. Don’t let fear win, hope carries us forward.
Speaking of hope, hopefully this ramble made some amount of sense. I wanted to say this both to explore why I feel this way but also to encourage anyone who reads this. There’s always the next adventure. Don’t let your current state leave you feeling down. I’m not saying this from a place of grand success. I haven’t “made it” yet. I’m still wowed when a video I made gets 20 views. But when I feel like giving up I remember that we all have a destiny. I may not have found mine just yet. Maybe I’m in the middle of it and I just can’t see it? Either way I’m going to keep going. I’m going to keep moving. I’m going to be the best version of myself right now so I can be that better person when destiny finds me.
While we’re being cliche I’m going to go ahead and say to you all that the Force is with us. Just keep it real and fly casual.
