I finally did it! I watched the entire Star Wars series.
It was never something on my to-do list, or something I’d ever imagined myself doing. However, social isolation is a unique time, and thus it requires and elicits atypical behaviours and measures.
It was actually my daughter who suggested the idea. Since I didn’t have any other movie recommendations, we dove into this marathon movie series, starting with the prequels.
We were hooked right away!
We laughed, we cried, we were on the edge of our seats… We had so much fun discussing the plots and our favourite characters. (In case you are interested, mine are Yoda and C-3PO for their wisdom and humour respectively.)
Considering what is happening on the planet right now, it seems perfectly ironic that we’d be watching a movie that takes place in far off galaxies because the world we are currently living in feels so different than what we are used to.
As well, while the characters do not seem to have any kind of consistent home base, they spend a lot of time in the confines of their airtight spaces ships, which are sometimes also a battleground.
What the characters are feeling in those situations is not unlike what many are feeling now. They are trapped in their homes, trying to mitigate the annoying, and sometimes frustrating, interactions that occur when they inadvertently (or intentionally) infringe on others’ space.
Most of all, what I enjoyed seeing was the evolution of the characters in their humanness and wisdom. They were required to demonstrate regular feats of courage, take frequent heroic action, and fight the unknown, all while bringing light to the darkness.
Of course, it was an added bonus seeing Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, and Harrison Ford acting in their 20s and 30s and then again in their 60s and 70s. What an inspiration to see them continue to excel in their careers decades later!
Overall, I enjoyed it far more than I ever expected and would highly recommend the series to anyone who wanted to experience touching moments, some scary interactions, and enlightened messages. I even took away several new favourite quotes!
Here are some favourites and how they apply to us and Brain Fitness:
- “Never tell me the odds!” – Han Solo
Our brains are naturally on the lookout for danger. It’s a life saving skill. However, when seeds of doubt are planted, it can become easy to fixate on those fearful outcomes rather than all the other wonderful possibilities. - “Do. Or do not. There is no try.” – Yoda
I remember attending a workshop years ago where the facilitator had us stand up, and then asked us to ‘try and sit down’. Many people immediately sat down on their chairs. The facilitator said we couldn’t do that, because he didn’t say “to sit down’ – he only said, ‘try to sit down’. This meant we were hovering above our chairs, between the realities of standing and sitting. This stuck with me. While we contemplate an action or decision, until we go fully in one direction or the other, we are stuck in limbo-land. - “You can’t stop the change, any more than you can stop the suns from setting.” — Shmi Skywalker
This is the same as the quote; ‘The only thing constant in life is change.’ Those who embrace change with flexibility and adaptability will last the longest. It’s an evolutionary fact. Our brains are gifted with neuroplasticity and wired to change and grow on a continual basis. It’s our human fear of change and the unknown that causes us to try to hold on and not change. - “Oh, my dear friend. How I’ve missed you.” — C-3PO
C-3PO says this to his best friend R2 when they had been apart for a while. During social isolation, this same feeling couldn’t be truer for many of us, while we are still waiting to see our dear friends and loved ones. Humans are social beings, and our brains are social organs. Our survival depends on ‘strength in numbers’. While we are in isolation, we feel lonely, helpless, and less capable – this causes stress. As well, our immune systems strengthen when we are interacting with the people around us and the environment. - “I’m one with the Force. The Force is with me.” — Chirrut Îmwe
This line is worth repeating several times a day! It’s easy to forget that we are part of a bigger picture, a greater energy. Science will easily confirm this and state that even the understanding of our brain is minuscule, compared to what is still waiting to be discovered and understood. The great news is that we do not need any special information or education to connect with the “Force”. It is always present and waiting for us to embrace it.
While sitting in front of a screen for hours on end is not good for our brains, thankfully there are many educational and inspirational movies available. When it comes to choosing, I recommend going with the ones that make you feel best!
“May the Force be with you!”
Jill