My Star Wars Story

It looks like it's been 35 years since Star Wars opened... Memorial Day weekend in 1977. Where was I that weekend?

I was finishing up 5th grade I think it was. My dad went on a business trip to Denver, sometime shortly after that weekend, maybe into the summer, I'm not sure. But while he was there, he went to this movie that everyone was talking about.

When he came home, he was raving about it! My 11 year old self was enthralled by his excitement. Besides, I'd seen the trailers on TV and I just KNEW this was a movie I had to go see.

At some point, we ended up with the soundtrack album and there were some awesome pictures on it. This only proved to intrigue me further.

Finally, FINALLY, my dad took us to see it! I have no idea when it was, but sometime that summer of 1977 I'm sure. It was a the huge old awesome theater in Salt Lake, The Centre, and it was at a time when once you were in the theater, you could stay there until you wanted to leave. So we stayed through two showings of it!

That was the coolest thing ever!

And thus the Star Wars phenomenon began in my life.

The impressions of my nearly 12 year old self:

• I knew that Luke was the hero of the show, but even at not quite 12, I was especially taken with Hans Solo, yet I knew not why!
• The garbage shoot scene was my favorite!
• Except for the double sunset scene which always gives me chills... oh the music.
• The special effects were astounding.
• The sound and the music blew me away. This may have been the beginning of my fascination with sound and music in movies.
• The movie was full of so many emotions that I was overwhelmed. 

I remember later that year I learned a Star Wars dance, learned to play Star Wars on the piano, and ended up with my very own copy of the disco Meco version of the Star Wars song which was a big hit with my 6th grade class. I also started collecting little Stars Wars figures, and also, trading cards which came in bread packages. I remember loving it when Star Wars characters were on the Teen Beat magazine cover and I even remember an article that talked about the whole trilogy (what a concept back then!) and then speculated that there would be a SECOND trilogy that would take place before this one, as a prequel of sorts. Could that really be? I was beyond excited!

Bottom line: I really really love Star Wars (the original.) Always have, always will!

What's YOUR Star Wars story?