The the “Christmas in the Stars.” collaboration continues! I’m so glad to be working with so many good friends from around the Star Wars fan-site community. Over the next few days there will be a short, daily guest blog post about a favorite Star Wars memory from a friend of us here at the Star Wars Report. We continue with “Christmas Fortuna,” a story from Bryan Young of Big Shiny Robot!
Enjoy!
-Riley Blanton – Founder, Exective Editor – starwarsreport.com
—————————————————————————————————————————–
Christmas Fortuna
When I was young, whenever I’d be asked what I wanted for Christmas, I’d always say, “Star Wars stuff.” It didn’t matter what it was, as long as it had a Star Wars logo on it, I’d be great. The first time I unwrapped something Star Wars at Christmas was in 1985, two years after Return of the Jedi. Finding Star Wars toys in that era was impossible and my mother had warned me that getting Star Wars stuff for Christmas didn’t seem likely.
I was handed present after present, all GI Joe action figures… I loved GI Joe, but it wasn’t Star Wars…
…And then I was handed my last present and it felt exactly like the packages of GI Joe figures I’d just finished opening.
Tearing into it, you can’t imagine how excited I was to find Admiral Ackbar and Bib Fortuna.
In fact, I don’t think there’s ever been a five year old more excited by the sight of an Admiral Ackbar and Bib Fortuna action figure. I tore them off their cards right then and there and they immediately became the generals in my army of GI Joes. They led valiant battles against the imperious forces of my sister’s Barbies and won a thousand campaigns against He-Man toys, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and everything else the forces of evil could throw at them.
I still have those figures, and I still crack a smile every time I think of them.
Now, a holiday season is rare without getting something Star Wars. Hell, we don’t even celebrate “Christmas” in my house any more. We secularized it and turned it into Life Day. But if I don’t open something under our holiday wroshyr tree, it wouldn’t really feel like December.
I’m in my thirties now and when my mother asks me what I want for Christmas, my answer hasn’t changed.
“Star Wars stuff,” I say.
It’s just who I am. And whenever I open something Star Wars, I’m that same 5 year old little boy again.
And now that I’m old enough to give my own son presents, I can finally see the same look I gave my parents on his face, and that’s what the season is really all about.
Bryan Young (@swnakmotron)
