Happy Belated  Star Wars Day! (I wrote this last night but forgot to publish) I flew my sci-fi geek loud and proud yesterday. After all,  that galaxy far, far away not only introduced me to science fiction, it’s also where I found my calling.

A gift from a friend, my little Storm Trooper helps me edit.

It’s fascinating to me to see all the people who really do get excited about this kind of stuff. Let’s face it, it’s a little goofy. I’m sure that some would say more than a little. And that’s ok. What impresses me are the number of people who you see on-line that are all excited about it that you wouldn’t think would be. That or I just am naturally attracted to Star Wars fans. Either way, it’s fun.

I think what really makes me smile is the idea of community. Of shared knowledge and experience I have with people all over the world. We may have seen the movies at different times, and in different places. We may have differences of opinions on characters or  plot points, but we love the movies.

And sure, things like Star Wars Day are geeky, or nerdy, and maybe even lame. But for just a moment we get to recapture part of our youth. We get some of that feeling back we had when we were younger and more idealistic. Where you could tell the bad guys by the uniform they wore and the ship they flew. Where good defeats evil, where right defeats might – usually with a little help from the universe and some cool weapons.

Personally, I love that little jolt I get when I start thinking about movies like Star Wars. Not just that taste of nostalgia, which was just what the doctor ordered on a long Wednesday. For me it reconnects me with the reason I do what I do. Granted, corporate video is a far cry from the masterpieces that stole my heart, but it reminds me that I can make magic. I can still take bits and pieces of dialogue, graphics and video and turn them into something. I can use my version of the Force to make pictures move, change colors, and give people a voice.

No, I’m not going to go down in history for the projects I’m working on right now, and I’m ok with that. You see, I’m doing what I love. I’m making something out of nothing. This is what I dreamed of doing when I was a little girl sitting in that theater. It’s really easy to lose site of that when there are deadlines and clients, and headaches. But now and then a little something comes along, like the 4th day of May, and reminds me how cool it is that I do what I do. Dreams do come true. And that I still kind of want to be Leia when I grown up.