May the Fourth Be With You

I remember going with my dad to a Sears store one evening in what was probably late 1983. He had grown-up stuff to get: paint, a mower blade, adjustable wrenches, maybe.

BOOORRRIIINNNGGG!!!

But the great thing about Sears in what was probably late 1983 is that they had Star Wars toys. I remember standing in their toy aisle staring at Ewok action sets, AT-STs, and, glory of glories, a bonafide Speeder Bike and Scout Trooper (sold separately, of course)!!!

Original Image Here

Dad! Dad!!! Daddy!!
"What is it, Doug?"
Can I get this?!? Can I get this speeder bike!?! Please? Please!!!

I don't remember the terms and conditions of the deal, now, but I'll always recall the feel of that box in my hands as I floated out of Sears in what was probably late 1983 with my very own Speeder Bike & Scout Trooper.

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In what was definitely 1996, the 20th Anniversary re-release of A New Hope neared and the shelves of my small college-town's Mega Big Box store began to fill with an updated line of action figures. My garage seller's remorse sent me on a collecting spree, devouring as many 3 3/4" hearkenings to my childhood as my college budget allowed. As time passed, though, those toys were taken off display, boxed up, and placed in storage, forgotten amongst the bustling adult world of which I was now a part.

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Several months ago, Mini-Me's imagination swirled with images of Batman and his Justice League teammates, but out of the dark night, he asked one day:

"Daddy, Can we play Lego Star Wars?"
Bud, we're almost done with Lego Batman...don't you wanna finish it first?
"No, daddy. Let's play Lego Star Wars."

I was initially disappointed. I've never finished a video game before and, working together with my 4-year-old son, I was 3.1% away from a historic moment and he wanted to leave it all behind!?! But, then again, the force was calling to Mini-Me and who was I to deny the power in that. Plus, I love me some Star Wars.

After playing the game with Mini-Me several times over the course of a couple weeks and answering thousands of questions about characters and planets long, long ago in that galaxy far, far away, I shut down our storage area's tractor beam and freed the box of figures that had been hidden away like Luke from Vader. Mini-Me's eyes grew to Death Starian proportions and his imagination soared like an X-Wing.

As we dug through the box, there, amongst my collection of late 90s figures, was the Scout Trooper I'd received way back in 1983, one of the few original figures I still have.

Last night Mini-Me and I stopped at Home Depot on the way home from his soccer practice. As we walked into the store to pick up paint, a mower blade, or adjustable wrenches, maybe, he asked,

"Daddy. Do they have Star Wars toys here?"
I wish they did, buddy...I wish they did.