May the Force Be With You

When I was growing up we weren’t a movie going family. In fact, if I tried to I could probably count all the movies we saw in the cinema without taking off my shoes. We saw lots of movies as rentals but they were usually kid centric or something my parents specifically wanted to see. That being said, I was not a geek growing up, at least not in the current connotation of the word. So needless to say many of the movies my generation grew up loving I had no reference for.

Enter my husband. He was in the theater to see the original Star Wars at a drive in. I’ve never even been to a drive in! (When he told me this story originally I was more jealous of the drive in than the movie.)  His love for all things comic book, sci-fi and time travel have contaminated me. I am now a full-fledged, card carrying geek. OK maybe not a card carrying one, but if that was an option I would sign up! We have seen every rendition of Star Wars George Lucas so lovingly added 12 extra seconds of footage to in the theater, I have even been to 2 midnight premieres. No dressing up though… yet.

In case you have been living under a rock or not made any passably marketable purchases lately you may not be aware that a new Star Wars movie is coming out Thursday night. Yes we will be there, excitement barely contained as we watch the movie continuing the story and made by a true fan from our generation that has already proven (with Star Trek) he can do so with love and attention to detail only a close friend to the story can.

I give you all this to set up for my reason for my love of Star Wars. Obviously, it has nothing to do with nostalgia. Other than playing with my friends on the playground I never knew the true story. Of course everyone knows who Luke’s father is. That was as important as who shot JR. But having grown to love this series as an adult I watched it with adult eyes. While everyone loves the action of lightsabers and the wonder of the parlor tricks the force can provide, I always loved Yoda (and the Ewoks, but apparently that is not a popular opinion for some reason.) He is a Muppet that sounds like Fozzie and Grover. How can you not love him? But that is not why I love Yoda.

How do you patiently explain something you cannot see and is such a foreign concept to someone who needs to learn it? Something so vital to their being and survival? Such a strong part of who they are? Yoda is the guide to the force for Luke. He is his intermediary to a higher power, literally and figuratively. His explanation of the force is eloquent and beautiful, and it’s applicable to all of us. Swap out words and how well does it fit a personal spiritual journey.

This scene is so simple, and even to a certain degree overlooked in the overall story, but without this basic building block it would not work. I challenge you to watch this clip and think about it. Not as a piece of classic movie cinema loved by millions around the world, but as a pathway to understanding. Understanding of our role in nature, to fellow man and even spiritually. Our life force is powerful… If we believe.