I love good stories, and I think we all do, really.
Even those who don’t enjoy reading, watching movies or attending plays still like it when someone tells a story that captures their attention.
Some stories become seminal for us, influencing us throughout all our later days, whether it be overtly or subtly. For me, one of those stories was “Star Wars.”
It was unlike anything I’d ever seen, and I was in awe of the 7-foot-tall hairy Wookie, the sarcastic smuggler, the naïve hero-to-be, the old sage, the beautiful princess and the tall, black-clad personification of evil.
I was not even 10 years old when the movie premiered, but I was old enough to understand that this movie would always hold a place in my heart and mind. I did not, of course, realize at the time what a hold it would take in the hearts and minds of millions of other people.
It was what actor Alec Guinness called “a child’s movie,” and yet defined the careers of many.
Anyway, though I don’t go around dressed as a character from the series, I have seen the movies, have read several of the books, own a good deal of merchandise, and have been told I do a decent Chewbacca impression.
My younger son is a much bigger fan than I am, and has an impressive array of books, games, toys, etc. He knows so much of the mythos related to George Lucas’ creation that I can’t keep up.
I introduced my older son to the franchise when it was re-released in theaters in the late 1990s. As “A New Hope” began and the Imperial ship entered from the top of the movie screen, he looked up in open-mouthed wonder and gasped. I was thrilled.
So this week, Wednesday, May 4, holds special significance for me as a Star Wars fan, “May the 4th be with you.” More importantly, May 4 is the anniversary of the day I reconnected with a college friend named Donna.
We were both going through difficult times after divorces and her father’s death, and our friendship rekindled and blossomed. So did a deep love for one another. She is now my wife of nearly eight years.
No, it’s not the anniversary of our engagement or our wedding, or even our first date, but it is a great date, nonetheless.
As I said, some stories are seminal points in our lives, influencing everything that comes after. Reconnecting with Donna was definitely one of those points, and my story — and life — have just gotten better.
Send Brett Campbell your Chunky news. He can be reached at ChunkyBrett@mail.com.
