May the Father’s Day Be With You

During the late 1970s and early 1980s the Star Wars trilogy was watched and beloved by many children all over the world. Over the years I have watched and re-watched the trilogy well… too many times to count. I am not embarrassed to say that I own both the original and special edition of the trilogy, dragged my wife to the theater to see both the special edition of the trilogy as well as all of the prequels.

One of my earliest childhood memories naturally involves Star Wars during which we left the theater, as my younger brother was afraid of Darth Vader. I do not remember much more from this experience, which can be attributed to me being 5 years old at the time. A few years later, The Empire Strikes Back was released. I remember my father took my brother and I into the city to see the movie. If my memory is correct we started the day joining my father at his workplace during which we played with some kind of computer outfitted with tape disks. Around lunchtime (or perhaps later in the day) we saw “The Empire Strikes Back.” I remember the snow battle scene, the fight with Darth Vader, and Yoda of course. I also remember that we were blown away by this movie. Soon enough, my brothers and I became avid collectors of the Star Wars action figures. In fact, every Shabbos (Saturday) we would play with the action figures and either reenact part of the film or create our own Star Wars adventures.

A few years later, Return of the Jedi came to the theaters. Once again, we were mesmerized by the trilogy. From the special effects, to the action, to the characters, to the heart, this movie had it all. Sixteen years later… The Phantom Menace came out. OK, Jar Jar haters get it out of your system. Kidding aside, while Episode I was not as good as any of the original trilogy films; it was fun. I enjoyed the duel between Darth Maul and Obi Wan and thought Palpatine the politician was very clever.

In the coming years Episode 2 and 3 were released and received mixed reviews. Despite it all, I enjoyed both films. I also realize why the prequels were doomed to be a let down on some level. The original series is a part of my childhood where as the prequel is not. I recall fondly enjoying this movie with my father and brothers. I also remember how my father would dispense his fatherly advice ala Yoda; “Do or Do not. There is no try.” On the surface it sounds silly. However, on a deeper level there is nothing silly about instilling a work ethic in your children. In fact, while my brothers and I have all taken very different career paths (two rabbis, a lawyer, and an educational administrator) we all share the same work ethic because there is no try; only do or do not. With that, I say Happy Fathers Day and “May the Father’s Day be with You.”