On this day, 35 years ago, Star Wars opened.  It spawned two awesome sequels.  Three mediocre(at best) prequels.  Video games, TV shows, books.  And countless jokes.  And some of the most memorable pop culture references ever. 

-Han shot first. 

-I can make the Kessel run in two parsecs.(even though a parsec is a measure of distance, not time) 

-General Ackbar is the greatest character who never really did anything.  

-Apparently, if you’re a whiny teenager you can become the most powerful bad guy in the universe.

-“Luke, I am your father.”  (Even though that isn’t how the line goes.)

-Best theme music ever

-Bad guys shoot red lasers, good guys shoot blue or green.

-Space stations have one weak spot.

-It’s not called terrorism if you fly an X-wing, it’s the Rebel Alliance.

-The light saber is the coolest weapon ever.

-It’s okay to kiss your sister…if you’re a Jedi.

-Little green elves, that talk funny, can teach you everything.

-Let the Wookie win.

And too many other things to think of right now.

Thank you, George.  All of the bad things you’ve done since, still do not eclipse the awesomeness that is the original trilogy.

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Is it possible to write a funny story about attempted suicide(s)?  If it isn’t then is it morally acceptable?

…knowing you are just bad at something.  You want to be better.  You want to be the ideal example.  But you just aren’t. And you don’t know if you’ll ever be any better at it.

This is something that is going to effect every part of my life.  Even if it will all be okay in the end; it isn’t okay right now, for me.  I’m not ready for the worst; I’ll never be ready for the worst; so I hope the worst never happens.  I pray, and I don’t do it often, that you are more than okay.  I just hope the other people in my life will respect my urging to not talk about it.  

I hope your your smile never fades, if it does I hope it is because it got bigger….

” I like to listen. I have learned a great deal from listening carefully. Most people never listen.”

-Ernest Hemingway

The greatest American author, may have been the greatest American mind.  Hemingway was someone who listened to more than he said and thought more than he spoke.  It is something we can all aspire to because to listen is to learn, to observe is to absorb, and to talk too much is to risk sounding stupid.

…is make you smile.

I’m not scared that I’ll like her any less, in fact, it’ll probably grow into a uncontrollable feeling.  I know that, perhaps selfishly, I don’t want her to ever have a bad memory of me.  I also know that the idea of her feeling pain, in any form, makes me angry.  I want to stop those people that hurt her.  Mostly, I want her to smile.  She has a pretty one.  I want her to attain her dreams.  She deserves every great thing this world has to offer.

I urge people not to completely hate on a group like Invisible Children. Ultimately what the do is good although they may not do it the most ethical way. Because what they do is shine a light on a situation that needs to be illuminated. No matter what your opinion of groups like IC are; it doesn’t dilute the fact that there are bad people in the world, like Joesph Kony. But we can’t forget that in general, in Africa, the people on both sides of these wars are bad people. The people that really need our help and attention are the innocents: civilians, children, women, the handicapped. When we single out guys like Kony we’re siding with the lesser of two evil. The Ugandan government is almost as guilty as Kony. But nothing is going to change, no one is going to be safe until everyone knows about it. So pay attention. Do your own research on it. Find a way you’re comfortable with helping, because they need it. Ask questions, find answers, and do what you can.