Return of "Return of the Jedi"

Nearly 40 years ago, early in the morning of May 25, 1983, my dad got then-seven-year-old me and my nine-year-old older brother out of school for the day—that act alone making him a hero to me forever—to line up on the streets of downtown Salt Lake City, at a theater that is no longer there, to be part of the first audience to see Return of the Jedi in Utah. And we made it in! (Back in my day, we didn't have the Internet and couldn't just buy the tickets online in advance.)

I remember being fascinated by every detail of that film: terrified by the creatures in Jabba's palace, almost covering my seven-year-old eyes at Princess Leia in her cast-iron bikini, my mind being blown by the Emperor's cruelty and by Luke's and Vader's final duel and Vader's redemption, and practically dancing in the aisles along with Han Solo and the Ewoks during the final celebration.

The next day at school, my classmates became somewhat jealous when they found out where I had really been.

Star Wars was a big part of my childhood and has remained a big part ever since then.

Everything old was new again this past Friday night when Return of the Jedi was re-released into theaters for a week for its 40th anniversary. (If you did the math, then yes, that means is that Paco is now old.) JB and I went to see it at the Megaplex along with my brother Ben and his two sons—ages 9 and 7. We had a blast reliving fun memories.

JB dressed up for the occasion:

The Force is strong in my family. My father has it, I have it, my brothers and sister have it, and now the next generation does, too.

Incidentally, Utah's last major flooding from winter snowpack also occurred 40 years ago this spring; we've seen an even-larger snowpack this past winter, leading to current flooding in various locations along the Wasatch Front. But that is a post for another day. (Stay safe out there, folks.)

Happy Star Wars Day, fellow nerds and nerdettes.