#60 - Jason the Jedi

30 years ago I saw Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope in a drive-in theater with my parents and baby brother. I barely remember it, but I knew I had to see it again, and again. For the first 3 movies I identified with the young desert moisture farmer, Luke Skywalker, who found out that he was the heir to a great legacy of powerful knights. He found out that his father was the greatest Jedi Knight but that he turned to darker powers to try to save his mother who died in childbirth. Luke became a Jedi himself and defeated the evil Emperor by drawing out the good that was still in his father. I loved the adventure and the themes of the movies and the philosophical insights of the Jedi. In the next 3 movies we get to go back and see the transformation of his father from good to evil and learn of his close relationship with his mentor, Obi-wan Kenobi. Now that I'm older I identify more with the older, wiser Jedi Knight. I decided several years ago to start assembling a Jedi costume and this year my mother-in-law and my wife collaborated to make it happen for me. I've got to say that I have not felt such joy in a long time as when I put on the costume for the first time. It took me back 30 years and brought out the kid in me. I wore it to work on Halloween and chaperoned my sons in the costume while they were trick-or-treating. Nobody messed with us - either because they respected the uniform, or they thought I was crazy. Now I've got to resist the urge to wear it for fun, like right now.