Confessions of a Latent Star Wars Geek

I didn't even know I was a Star Wars geek until recently. I mean, I've never collected memorabilia and such (well, except for a Queen Amidala paper doll set) and I don't know the trivia--heck, I can barely keep up with the plots. But, here's the thing, it took me having two little boys to whom I could introduce Star Wars to realize just what great fondness I have for Star Wars.

I can't remember what started it, but in the past couple of months, I introduced Episode I to them. They were fascinated (I think Episode I is my favorite). So, for Christmas, I got them the old school set of Episodes IV, V, & VI. I thought I had I, II, & III. They've been watching them in fits and spurts, taking detailed notes of the things I missed, like what color is whose light saber. And asking me tough questions (like what color is whose light saber--I mean really, aren't they going to ask me how Anakin and Padme fall in love, or when are Leia and Han going to realize they're made for each other).

Since I didn't realize I was a geek, I'm sure I've gone about introducing them to it all wrong. Like, I kept referring to Episodes IV-VI as the first, second, and third, then started explaining plot complexities while watching E-I, like how Anakin becomes Darth Vader and is really Luke's father and so forth. Then suddenly I thought "DOH!" I've just spoiled the whole thing for them! But then, since they have the first three already, if they watch them in order, they'd already know those things, so should I have shown them the last three first . . . my mind was swimming. So I took some deep breaths and ralized that they are in a completely different place than I was, growing up seeing E IV-VI as they came out in the theaters. However it's happened for them is how it is, they'll be okay. There is no right or wrong way to show them, so long as they understand the two sides of the Force.

I digress. We discovered the Star Wars visual dictionaries and ran right to the library to get the only one available at the moment--Episode I's visual dictionary (we've placed a hold on several others, including the complete cross-sections books showing all the innards of the ships and stations and such). Which is good because that's the one we just watched. I decided to try and take them methodically through all six, rather than the jumping around at will they'd been doing. And the visual dictionary could answer many of their detailed questions.

Now we come to the moment of the discovery of my geekdom. One evening, after the boys were in bed, I found myself sitting on the sofa reading through the visual dictionary. After a good half hour or so of this, my husband looks over at me, shakes his head and says: You are such a geek. And I realized just how right he was. My boys got light sabers for Christmas and Elliot just got a new one for his birthday (Mace Windu's purple saber, complete with lights, sounds and spring action) and spend their days Jedi fighting through the house and hiding in their secret Jedi headquarters. Matt blames it all on me. Rightly so.

We finished Episode II this morning and I was overwhelmed watching it with them for the barrage of questions I was forced to attempt to answer as I tried to remind myself of the plot. They are a bit young for the plot intricacies yet. I found myself absolutely entertained by their reaction to Yoda's fight with Dooku. They'd thought Yoda was just this quirky little mild-mannered old Jedi. But then they saw him fight--all the flipping and flying and twirling. They squealed in surprise and delight and spent the rest of the afternoon fighting over who was going to be Yoda.

Nowadays I have to ask my children who they are at present before I can address them properly as Jedi Master such and such. We no longer have colors in the household, as everything is referred to by the light saber equivalent (Red is Darth Maul, Blue is Qui-Gon, Purple is Mace Windu, etc.). In my geekhood, I'm highly entertained and have been staying up nights watching the movies so I can watch in peace without having to explain anything--and I can rewind the kissing parts without any complaints. And really, he's right. It is all my fault.

PS. The original three were much funnier than I remember. The newer ones take themselves soooo seriously.

PPS. Perhaps I should have realized I was a geek when I saw Episode one three times in one weekend in the theater. Idunno.

PPSS. I wuz not elekted to watch my people zuffer and die while you dizcuss this invasion in a komitee. --QA

PPPSS. Darth Maul is HOT! (except maybe for the horns and the evil thing)