Thank You – This Was The Star Wars I Was Looking For!

So, after my 5^th showing of STAR WARS: The Rise of Skywalker it really hit me hard… the Story that has been a huge part of my life is over. What a ride it was, it is hard to believe the Skywalker Saga is done. Now I know people will look at this title and pass it over. Hell, I’m sure there will be a lot of comments on how stupid I am and how can I even say that about the last three movies. For the people that do read this, you will see that I am talking about all that is Star Wars and what it has meant to me.

Growing up with Star Wars

Wow, it still feels like it was yesterday, sitting around the Christmas Tree and opening my presents. I still can remember when I ripped open my brand-new Rancor and could not wait to play with it. It was great, I could be anyone in the movies with my Star Wars Figures. I could even make up new things like Boba Fett being the hero, or even have Jabba the Hutt trapping my G.I. Joes, and Luke would come and save them. Yeah, I did some pretty cool crossovers back in my day. But none of this imagination would have been there if it wasn’t for the Star Wars movies.

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…

It is so hard to explain the feeling I got and still get when I see that opening crawl goes across the screen. It just made me forget the world around me and took me on an adventure that was, well… out of this world. And for a while, I thought the Original Trilogy was all we were going to ever get. I can’t tell you how many times I had to replace my Star Wars VCR tapes put it was a lot. So, after watching Luke blow up the Death Star, Han being frozen in carbonite, and some mean-looking teddy bears kill some Stormtroopers a million times; something amazing happened in 1999. We got more Star Wars movies!

Star Wars Prequals

So, 1999 what a year. We were rocking to Millennium by the Backstreet Boys, making our computers sick by using Napster, and got a new Star Wars movie. I mean how cool was it, we were getting a new trilogy that not only gave us the story on how Darth Vader was created (sorry for the spoiler). but it also got people talking about Star Wars again. I loved the prequels and yes even Jar Jar Binks. For one they gave us more movies and to me, that is never a bad thing. But it also gave me so much more.  It gave me enjoyment and took me back to my childhood just like it did for many fans. But there was something else Star Wars gave me that I wouldn’t realize until 2012.

Star Wars saved my life

What I’m about to talk about here I have not talked about it with a lot of people. 2012 was a challenging year for me. In January I deployed to Afghanistan. While there I saw a little bit of everything. From combat to death there will be things that I will never forget. But it was after a friend of mine died in combat that things started to take a toll on me. The stress got worse and worse on each mission we went on. Every time we went out it was always in my head… when will we hit an IED, will I get hurt, or worse will I get to see my family again? Well, the one thing that would put me at peace after a mission or whenever I need it was Star Wars. I can not tell you how many times I watched Star Wars on my laptop but I’m sure I about wore out the hard drive.

Help me Star Wars, You’re my only hope

But it wasn’t until I came home that I realized that Star Wars helped save my life. It was hard to adjust. When you deploy it takes a lot out of you and you look at life very differently. Well unfortunately like many veterans I had a hard time adjusting and was diagnosed with PTSD, depression, and anxiety. I was in a very dark place and thought about taking my life. One thing I learned during this time was don’t be afraid to ask for help. The other thing I learned was that there were other outlets to help me deal with the dark times. That outlet for me was Star Wars. I turned my home office into a Star Wars room and when I would find myself in that dark place I would go there and let the Force take me to that place that made me forget about things around and put me at ease. So yes, Star Wars saved my life.

More Star Wars

So that brings us to today and wow what a freaking ride. From comics, games, books, and movies Star Wars is everywhere and I LOVE it. I am one of those people that really have nothing negative to say about all the movies. Yeah, there were a couple of things that I was like OK, but I was just happy to get more. We went from only thinking we were only going to get the Original Trilogy to getting 11 total movies, a bunch of animated series, a ton of books, and live-action TV shows. What a great time to be a fan. So instead of trying to find something to hate with the movies from the past and present and people that love them, try to remember what you love about Star Wars and enjoy it. Life is too short to be so toxic and hateful. Find the things you love and remember the Force will be with you always.

I want to hear from you

If you stayed with me this long, I want to say thank you. I am sure many people looked at the title and thought I was only talking about the last 3 movies or made comments without reading. I am thankful I got to live long enough to see all this Star Wars content. While I am sad that the Skywalker Saga is over, I am also excited about what the future holds. So, share this article. Tell everyone about your memories and what it means to you. I can not wait to hear your stories.

You can tell your story by hitting us up on Twitter or myself @starwarsnerd574. You can also join my Star Wars page at the Midwest Star Wars Fanatics.

Also, make sure to stay up to date on all the Star Wars news by following us at ThatHashtagShow.com. I can’t wait to see you all next year at STAR WARS Celebration.