Star Wars is more than a movie or franchise. It’s a global phenomenon, a modern mythology that may well live for centuries. For me, it was also the most important cultural influence on my childhood. It sparked my imagination, informed my creative sensibilities, and taught me the following valuable life lessons.
It’s Okay to Start in the Middle
I was seven years old when I saw Star Wars for the first time. I still remember the first words of the opening crawl: “Episode IV.” Did I miss something? For the longest time, I thought there were three previous movies that no one told me about.
Of course, I later learned that George Lucas started with the middle part of his massive story, or so the story went. The beginning he left for later when the technology existed to truly disappoint fans.
It taught me that it’s never too late to start something. Missing the beginning doesn’t mean missing opportunity. Starting in the middle — whether it’s the middle of a movie, the middle of an idea, or the middle of life — is lightyears better than never starting at all.
Adorable Doesn’t Mean Friendly
Mention an Ewok, and you often get one of two reactions: an eye roll or a high-pitched “They’re so adorable.” People forget that Lucas’s merchandising darlings were going to eat Luke and company. Not only were these “adorable” little bundles of fur very matter of fact about this, but they weren’t at all surprised by the presence of upright creatures that wore clothes and spoke. (Yes, I’m ignoring the Ewok movies and cartoon, as should we all.) This is a race that routinely hunts and eats sentient races and has no moral qualms about it, either. It is only when they mistake C-3PO for a god that they stop.
Ewoks may be cute, but I wouldn’t want to face them alone in a dark redwood forest. Don’t judge a book by its cover, and don’t judge a science fiction species by how cute they look as shampoo dispensers.
There Is No Try
“Do or not, there is no try.” You just read that in Yoda’s voice. Nike would co-opt the ancient Jedi Master years later with their slogan, “Just Do It.” The message remains the same though: take action, whatever that may be. Don’t overthink, don’t hesitate, don’t just try. Trying implies the potential for failure. “I’m going to try to pass that test” yields different results than “I’m going to pass that test.”
What Yoda taught, in his own oddly-syntaxed way, was the power of visualization. If you see yourself as “trying,” then success is only a possibility. If you visualize yourself “doing,” success is inevitable. And when you’re mind-lifting a mud-soaked X-wing out of a murky bog, that makes all the difference.
No One Is Beyond Redemption
We all hold grudges. It’s human nature. A boyfriend or girlfriend dumped us. A coworker took credit for our idea. Everyone makes mistakes, and sometimes people are just jerks. It’s never too late to forgive, though. And if we’re the ones in the wrong, it’s never too late to make amends.
Darth Vader killed younglings and helped his boss destroy a planet. He enforced the Emperor’s evil vision of Galactic domination and crushed any attempt to resist. But Luke saw the good in him, even if Vader himself couldn’t. Vader’s story arc is a tale of redemption. It culminates in a flash of fatherly love as he saves his son – and the Galaxy – by sacrificing himself to kill the Emperor. If Luke, and the Force, can forgive that, then maybe we can forgive the barista who forgot our extra caramel shot.
Don’t Get Cocky
This is the lesson we most have to learn the hard way. Luke didn’t listen. He blew up the Death Star and saved the Rebellion. By the end of the next film, he’s missing a hand and dangling under Cloud City, having taken a beating from a room full of early ’80s electronics. He thought he could anything, even ignore Yoda. He was wrong.
Don’t just rush in, thinking it’s a done deal. That rarely works, even for Jedi. Despite telling us to trust in the Force, Star Wars teaches us to prepare and to understand the risks. Luke beat Jabba because he had a plan. He beat the Emperor because he had a plan – not a great one, but still a plan. Savor your victories, but don’t rest on them. Even the guy who massacred the Jedi and played the entire Republic like Max Rebo’s organ got tossed down a shaft by his right-hand man.
As we now bask in the promise of more Star Wars movies well into my golden years, the opportunity to learn from the amazing universe George Lucas built will never cease. I can only hope they find a way to bring Darth Vader back. I’m dying to hear his grandparenting tips.
