Star Wars

I first lined up for Star Wars when I was twelve. Some lady ralphed off her eighth floor balcony beside the old Somerset theater where we were lined up, and there was an ad for CFRA radio on a billboard beside the three block lineup. I remember that. I also remember the heavy rumble of the Star Destroyer lumbering across the screen. Twenty years later I took my older daughter to see "Star Wars" at the same Somerset theater, the place where I had let my daydreams drift, about heroes who flew x-wings, and bad guys who wielded red flame and blue lightning. They turned the theater into a supermarket six months later.

Last night, I lined up at one of the new suburban super-multi-ultra-calafragilistic-plexes with my two daughters, my brother in law, and two friends who we held the line for. I grumbled about how I always ended up being one guy holding the line for seven people, and how I always ended up being the one that lightsaber toting nerds glared at as I tried to stretch out my sweaters, jackets, and other clothing to make seven seats look occupied. So everyone more or less stayed put, except for bathroom and beer breaks.

While we were in line Darth Vader, who is about seven feet tall in real life, walked by. At least I think it was Darth Vader, because he looked intimidating, was in fact seven feet tall, and had glowing boxes in the same places he does in the films. He had a red robed imperial guard with him, but I'm not sure who was protecting whom. Lord Vader was fearsome enough. There were a number of lightsaber fights in the line, conducted by guys who had these pretty darn realistic lightsabers that lit up, made sounds, and didn't break when you whacked each other with them. Tres cool, I should think.

There were six lines, actually, as they showed the midnight showing in six places. In one of the other lines, their nerds outdid our nerds. Some fellow had rigged up a twenty inch television somehow (I didn't hear a generator), and various Jedi and stormtrooper clad geeks were watching Luke on Endor tell Darth Vader that, "I feel the good in you, let go your hate!"

My youngest managed to stay awake for most of the film - she kind of glued her eyes open. We didn't get home until about 3 AM. She played wookiee hooky today. I dutifully went to work, although I am definitely bagged. I am sad to see Star Wars end. From my first time in a huge lineup, to this time in a huge lineup, it feels as though a page of sorts has turned in my life. I am no longer a little kid waiting for the next Star Wars film. There will be no more. :-)