Star Wars Turns 43. It Gave Me "A New Hope".

Star Wars was released 43 years ago today. There was no “Episode IV” or “A New Hope” in the opening crawl. It was simply “Star Wars”. My favorite film of the Skywalker Saga.

When I went to see “The Empire Strikes Back” with my family, like many fans we were confused by the “Episode V” headline in the opening crawl. We thought we were seeing the second installment. What’s going on? Does that mean Star Wars was episode 4, if so, what happened to episodes 1-3?

George Lucas added “Episode IV” and the subtitle “A New Hope” when the film was released again on April 10, 1981. Being 11 years old at the time, I didn’t think “A New Hope” sounded cool... not like “The Empire Strikes Back”. As I got older, that particular title, and each of the films took on a different meaning for me. I could see the connections, not just between the films, but within my own life.

When I first saw Star Wars in June of 1977, the most boring moment to my eight-year old self was when Luke was talking with his Uncle Owen. Luke was frustrated and discouraged. He walked out of their home and watched the twin suns of Tatooine set in the distance behind the dunes. Boring. Years later, I had a similar moment with my dad as a senior in high school. I remember being frustrated and discouraged after our talk as I drove to the airport. There was an area on the side of the road where you could see the planes take off and land. I stayed there for hours, contemplating while watching the planes and the sunset. I knew what I wanted to do with my life, but my dad didn’t see it as practical and I had no idea how to get there. I felt like Luke in that moment, when he said to his Aunt Beru before barging out, “It looks like I'm going nowhere”.

This was just one of many moments in the original trilogy that became relevant in my life. Much like the films, there was a season of my life when darkness looked like it would prevail.

I view “Star Wars: A New Hope” as the first episode of the second act across all nine of the films. That’s why on the 40th Anniversary of “Star Wars”, 3-years ago today, I asked my best friend to marry me. She said yes! Our story had just started. My second act. A new hope...

Watch the Marriage Proposal Video Here!

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