The Jedi

The man’s name was Kenny. He was 18 years old, he could belch the alphabet, make his biceps dance, and he had a mullet. He was the coolest guy I had ever met and he was my cousin. I’m not sure how he got stuck with the task of looking after my brother and me, but this week-end he would be responsible for one of the most impactful moments of my eight year of life. This is the first time I had ever watched Star Wars.

I had always looked up to my cousin but I was also terrified of him. He was ten years older, covered in tattoos and had more muscles than my eight year eyes had ever seen. He had all these toys in plastic boxes in his room that I wasn’t allowed to play with. In the middle of his wall, in a big glass case, he had a black helmet with the name James Earl Jones written in gold on it. I had no idea what any of it meant but I thought it was silly and weird that he never seemed to play with any of his cool toys.

How do you keep an 8 and 6 year old boy entertained for a week-end? Sit them in front of the tv and pop in Star Wars episode IV: A New Hope. To this day I remember the experience vividly; the orchestral soundtrack dancing in my ears, the tease of a hero’s journey and of course the triumphant battle between good and evil against all odds. I would steal glances of Kenny on the edge of the couch completely lost in the story just as I had been. He must have watched it a hundred times at this point, he knew the lines, the characters, the sequence of events that were unfolding in front of our eyes but he could not escape it. It was like an invisible energy that flowed throughout the room held us there.

I sat there for hours with my cousin and brother transfixed on this wonderful story. I don’t remember what we ate that week-end or even where or when we slept but I will forever remember hearing the words “No, I am your father” for the first time. I felt like I was privy to some secret that only other Star Wars fans would understand.

I have since watched the trilogy countless times and it never ceases to fill me with inspiration and joy. The power of the force is strong with me because of a gift that my cousin gave me 22 years ago. Don’t be afraid to share that gift with someone you know today. Remember “Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering."