Rebel scum!

Star Wars.

I first saw a Star Wars movie in December 1977 when two friends and I went to go see the then-known-as Star Wars, now known as the A New Hope. We left the theater in my 1974 maroon Volkswagon bug and pretended to blast cars off the road a la Han Solo.

I was busy with a new baby and didn’t really have any idea that there would be more of Luke, Leia and Han. Back then you had to read about new movies in People magazine or see a premiere in the movie theater.

I was floored when The Empire Strikes Back was launched in theaters. I saw it at an afternoon matinee when I worked in downtown Seattle in an office catty-corner from a luxurious movie theater. The day had been bad and I’d been chewed out by the boss so I left my office (yes, I had a job with an office at 21, WTF happened to me?) and went across the street and watched Han get frozen in carbonite.

In the summer of 1991 my son, Paul, 6, was having a tough summer. On a hot day when no friends were available to play he decided to pester everyone to no end. I pulled him downstairs with him protesting all the way and sat him down in front of the TV. I put A New Hope in the VCR and made him sit there and we watched it together. Two hours later he was completely enthralled with Luke and Han and asked me: “Are there anymore of these?”

That afternoon we got through ‘The Empire Strikes Back’ and ‘Return of the Jedi.’

Nine movies later Paul and I are firmly entrenched in the Star Wars genre. We’re there every opening weekend and most times we’re so worked up about the movie we can’t really even remember what happened because we’re so excited.

It’s natural that the adoration of Star Wars would extend into my daily life. I found this flag on Amazon, along with many other flags including ones for the Sith, Jedi and different pilots in the resistance. Pretty cool.

If you’ve seen The Last Jedi you know the great line when Captain Phasma says to Finn, “You’ve always been scum,” which Finn replies with pride, “Rebel scum!”

I bought the flag and put it up the same day. I could see neighbors slow down and try to read the 3 x 5 foot flag.

The flag only flew for a few days before the seams ripped in a bad wind and my daughter Jill sewed it up and I gave it to Paul to hang in his room.

He proudly displays his rebel flag in his room. My family, rebel scum.