Hi, everyone! I hope you are all safe and healthy. If you need emotional support, please reach out to me. I care about you and I am here for you. In the meantime, please enjoy this exclusive essay I wrote that I will only be publishing on this website. As an elementary schooler, I was never a huge fan of Star Wars. Movies were a family thing and with my feelings toward my family often being rather complicated, I preferred to find shelter with more personal enjoyments-- mostly books like Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, and Warriors-- that I could hold in my hand. The strongest memory I have of watching Star Wars in my elementary school years is of viewing The Empire Strikes Back with my aunt during a snow day and I was more focused on the fact my aunt napped through the whole movie than on the film itself. Fortunately for today, in eighth grade, my opinion of the franchise was shaken after I experienced one of the newer films, The Force Awakens, in theaters. Now, as I am at home with my mind overloaded with worries for my extended family members losing jobs, for my friends struggling with complex home situations, and for my country scrambling to find an adequate solution to handle a deadly virus, I can find validation, unity, and hope in a galaxy far, far away. One thing I love about being a Star Wars fan: you are never alone. Even though the story takes place in another universe and is rife with fantasy, so many issues the franchise tackles are visible on Earth. Although, of course, on Earth, these challenges are much more serious because they are real. One parallel is how the original trilogy centers on imperialism with the main antagonists allying with the Empire. On Earth, we do not have to fight a galactic authoritarian government, but we do have a long history of colonialism. Additionally, similar to how Star Wars’s sequel trilogy concentrates on the difficulty of escaping past horrors, we humans on Earth are still combating the negative effects of European and East Asian imperialism. Just a quick listen to the podcast Illuminative can paint a powerful picture of the struggles Native people in America possess right now during the COVID-19 crisis due to the ramifications of colonialism. On a personal level, Star Wars can be quite validating. The Star Wars prequel trilogy is all about the harmful impacts of emotions as seen by Anakin Skywalker’s fall to the dark side. Chronologically, in the following trilogies, viewers watch Anakin’s son Luke and grandson Ben encounter similar hurdles. On my mother’s side of the family, we, too, have a pattern of mismanaging emotions. We jokingly label the matter as the “Yee anger,” but it’s a serious issue that has led to emotional, verbal, and, at times, physical abuse in my extended family. Star Wars has always reminded me that the troubles I face with my family are universal and that I am not alone. As a sensitive person myself, I feel acknowledged by how, in Return of the Jedi, Luke illustrates by trying to save his father that emotions can be healthy as long as you use them to selflessly help others. Besides solely relating to life, Star Wars can also unite and inspire people. Although, as a child, I disliked the community feel of the franchise, I have now grown to respect the way the movies brought my family together. In my middle school years, watching films became a highlight of my weekends. Movie nights were a time when my family could be with one another, all focused on the same thing, in peace. Recently, during the lockdown, my family was privileged to a free two-week trial of Disney+ and for three nights, we were able to quietly watch The Mandalorian together. My family are not the only people connected by Star Wars. Just visit Star Wars Wikipedia, a.k.a Wookieepedia, and see how the site has over 155,000 articles and updates daily. Wookieepedia is a glimpse at a vast and motivated fandom. With my family’s Disney+ trial having ended, I have relied on YouTube to provide me with summaries of the most recent Star Wars: The Clone Wars episodes. Even during this global pandemic, channels like Star Wars Explained, ScreenCrush, and StarForceOne, among others, are steadily producing videos. To further showcase the inspiring nature of the franchise, on the activist side of things, one young supporter of the Green New Deal wrote on their protest poster, “We grew up on Star Wars, Harry Potter, and Marvel. Of course we’re fighting back.” One thing Star Wars is able to offer, especially now with the spread of the coronavirus, is hope. I am so anxious. Every single day brings more and more bad news. The longstanding inequalities in the US are sharper. Scapegoating is prevalent everywhere from the United States to India to China. With so much negativity in the world, it is difficult to feel optimistic. Yet, just reading Star Wars books like Last Shot, Master & Apprentice, and Black Spire can comfort and encourage me. In Last Shot, Lando Calrissian and Han Solo try to prevent an evil alien from controlling all droids. Master & Apprentice centers on two Jedi struggling with the intricacies of politics and slavery. Black Spire follows a Resistance agent setting up a base on a remote outpost. The common thread between these three stories is that the characters persevere and do good despite how powerless they may feel. Even though I find myself in despair at times, I remind myself that there are things I can do to aid others. I can help my parents deliver extra grocery bags to the local food pantry. I can knit scarves for my friends and family. I can simply listen and read the accounts of those who are suffering and need a platform the most right now. It’s funny how a franchise I disregarded as a child became such a motivator for me as a teenager to assist others. But, as one episode of The Clone Wars states, “Never give up hope, no matter how dark things seem.”
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AuthorI'm Darcy Ridge, creating stories that all revolve around family and identity in a myriad of ways. In the past, I have shared multiple stories and published a novella online. You can find me on Wattpad and many other social media websites. They/them [Image Description: black background with the words "Social Justice and Mental Health Resources" in white in the center /end ID]
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