There are two possible sources for the word "fan," both longer words.

"Fancy," or more likely, "fanatic." So why are we fans of Star Wars? We like it, sure - but we don't want to be labeled fanatics, even if we are fanatical about Star Wars in some ways.

See, we want to be the good kind of fanatic. The one who knows a lot about Star Wars, not the one who thinks Star Wars is all that's worth knowing. The one who's enthusiastic about meeting someone who helped the magic of Star Wars come together - not the one who sends hate mail to authors who didn't write what we wanted them to.

If I ever start looking like a fan unhinged and unhealthy, I hope someone quietly tells me. I promise I'll be returning the favor if opportunity arises.