I'm a stormtrooper
  • Home
  • Maymay's Reviews
  • Adventures in autism, or Maymay-isms...
  • I'm just rambling...
  • Stormtrooper's movie reviews
  • Pictures

Memories....

3/2/2013

3 Comments

 
Picture
"What's your earliest memory?"

That's the innocuous question I was asked almost in passing.  I didn't give it much thought at the time.  Matter of fact, I forgot all about it. Later, as I was getting ready for bed, I was surprised it came back to me. So I wondered, what was my earliest memory?  How far back can I really remember?   I drifted off to sleep with this question mulling about in my mind.  All of a sudden I sat straight up in bed.  It had come to me. 

May 25, 1977. 

Picture
I was a little kid sitting in a Texas movie theater waiting for Star Wars to begin.  I had spent the entire morning collecting bottles and returning them to the store so I would have enough money to afford the movie AND popcorn.  I remember the feeling of excitement and the salty popcorn.  I swear I can smell the popcorn just thinking about it.  I remember the moment the lights went out, and for a second I felt my heart beating so hard in my chest I was afraid I was going to be sick. I remember sucking in my breath and staring straight at the screen.  

Then, it began.

Picture
I held onto the feelings Star Wars gave me.  I held them close and would dream the same dream millions of other kids had after experiencing A New Hope.  That's what it gave me.  Hope.  I had a terrible childhood filled with pain and abuse.  I would disappear into my Star Wars memories and wouldn't feel so afraid and alone.  This movie provided this scared and hurting child an escape from it all.  I wanted to be a part of  that world so badly.  

Picture
It also gave me friends.  We would play Star Wars most of the day and into the night, until the porch lights would come on signaling it was time to go home.  All the other kids would pretend they were a Jedi and I would happily be a stormtrooper.  I would pew-pew my way around trees and run and chase the rebel scum.  These are my happiest memories, and somehow it had slipped my mind until last night.  

So, to answer the question, what is my earliest memory:  My earliest memory was the moment I became a stormtrooper.

3 Comments
Aaron Cane
1/12/2014 03:05:21 pm

That's wonderful. It really was a special movie back in 1977 wasn't it?

Reply
Chris Reed link
1/23/2014 03:49:02 pm

I likely attended a couple of movies with the parents before Star Wars, but Star Wars was the first I remember seeing.

It was the second week of limited release - two weeks before Star Wars went nationwide wide release - and my parents gathered myself and my brothers in our Pinto to the first drive-in in the nation to screen the galaxy far, far, away - the Winnetka Drive-In (http://www.in70mm.com/news/2003/star_wars/, http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/7365).

I figure all the turn-aways from screenings in Hollywood and Westwood got my parents' attention and they wanted to join in the phenomenon with their kids.

The moment the sun set and the image of that giant Star Destroyer filled the screen, I was hooked not only on Star Wars, but on movies in general.

I think that first summer we went to see it at least four times. And when it was re-released the following summer I didn't have enough fingers to count the number of times I went to cheer on Luke and Han (before blu-rays, DVDs, HBO, and VCRs for that matter).

Can never recapture the magic of that first time but at least I got to have a little bit showing my own kids the originals the first time .... though I really need one of those torture droids to get them to prefer the original over the prequels.

Reply
Jeff Cotrupe link
11/23/2019 11:53:10 am

What a beautiful story. Sad for the hurt in your childhood but proud of you for finding strength in this positive, magical realm — and pushing through sadness to VICTORY.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    September 2018
    October 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly