Lately, I've been busy playing dress up. No, the farm boy outfit is still sealed in its tub. I've been choking at the neck from ties and sick and tired of tucking in shirts and wearing loafers, because it's that time of year; graduation. Being on my school's NHS (that's National Honors Society) I have been given the lovely task of ushering at everything from class night to graduation. Believe me, if I have to clap once more, I may implode. But, that's beside the point. It was indeed a joy to give my final farewells to this years graduating class and a few of my close buddies in particular.

So, at graduation, I'm sitting there "guarding" a door and this massive fan is blowing air at my back so that I can barely hear anything. I find it interesting the sage advice that is offered at these sorts of things and I was excited to hear this year's valedictorian give his speech, being as he's one of my running partners and a good friend. He gets up, positions his mike and divulges into an awesome speech. Truly, I wish that I could express how profound and humble his speech was, but I think that the only way to do that is if you were there in that auditorium breathing in the sticky air.

This, I suppose, gets me thinking. He likened life to that of a cross country ski race. It's full of hair pin turns, downhills and uphills, but that we should try not to snowplow. You know, that's when you make a wedge with your skis in an attempt to slow down. He stated that if you were trained and prepared, then why should you be afraid to snowplow? Why should anyone be afraid of failure? In life, he said, there are risks and adventures ripe for the picking and if you're hesitant then you may not find that adventure or that accomplishment. In our long races of life, we come across so many challenges and obstacles and that we shouldn't be afraid to fail, because, that's just another part of life. Failure is just another part of learning.

Hmmm...well that's interesting. I'll be darned if I haven't heard that before.

"Yes, yes. To Obi-Wan you listen. The cave. Remember your failure
at the cave!."

"But I've learned so much since then. Master Yoda, I promise to
return and finish what I've begun. You have my word."
Yoda to Luke, Episode V

It's a well known fact that Luke failed at the cave. Luke didn't trust in himself. He trusted in his weapons at the time. Sure, along our roads of life, we'll be given the necessary tools. But, we have to learn to trust ourselves and not solely rely on tools. There won't always be a book of rights and wrongs to guide you and there will not always be that right "thing" at the exact moment you need it. Luke needed to trust in his own hands and soul, not that of a his utility belt and blaster. So, as we all do once in our lives, Luke entered that dank hole thinking he was prepared when he really wasn't. That belt fit snuggly around his waist probably made him feel secure and confident. But, without it he would not have let it do all of the work for him. In the cave, Luke relied on his weapons, certain that they would see him through, only to find out that they would be the very implements to his downfall. Keep this point in mind...

Did Luke really learn from his failure at the cave as he claims? Nope. We all know that. Just look at how headstrong he was to be the hero and rescue his friends from certain doom instead on trusting in the force and himself to see him through. Again, Luke rushed in guns blazing and lightsaber drawn. He wasn't ready for the physical or the emotional battle that he would face on that city in the clouds. Luke fought with the pure intentions of slaying the man who had killed Ben, the man who had enslaved a galaxy, and the man who killed his father.

Instead, Luke was beaten by the very man he was hoping to avenge. Clinging to the catwalks, Luke finally begins to learn from his failures. With a swipe of his lightsaber, Vader chops off Luke's hand, his very life force, but more importantly, he looses his weapon. The one thing that Luke clings to in that battle was his lightsaber. And now, with one easy swipe, it's gone.

In this moment, Luke is back at the cave. He's staring into the eyes of himself as Vader delivers the final emotional blow. Luke stares at the mask of evil, stricken by Vader's revelation, believing that his destiny also lies behind a mask of evil. Defenseless, Luke makes his first sacrifice and listens to his own soul and the Force. He lets go.

No matter how much counsel Yoda could have given to Luke, he ultimately knew that Luke had to find this wisdom and guidance for himself. Although, not even he foresaw at what costs it would take for Luke to learn what he needed. Plummeting through the depths of the city, Luke is no longer a man driven by fear and a need to cling to weapons. He has found the Force, and that's all that he needs. Luke rushed in the hero and was humbled to the victim dangling for his very life. This was Luke's realization.

No longer were weapons necessary to achieve his means, all Luke truly needed was confidence in himself. Standing defiant before the Emperor, Luke assembles all of his experiences and wisdom gained and knows what he must do. No longer does he rely upon his lightsaber, the very thing that would have saved him. Instead, he flings it aside as if it were nothing more than a child's play thing. Luke found the confidence in himself to no longer rely upon his weapons but upon himself. It is in this moment, that Luke becomes a Jedi. It is this amount of sacrifice and reliance in himself that saves a galaxy.

But, see, Luke had to go through the bumps, perils, and obstacles, to attain his ultimate achievement and realize his destiny. He did not want to end up behind a dark helmet as his father did. And, he didn't.

In our lives we'll have chances to snowplow. Sure, it's okay when we do. But, it is important that we don't disregard our failures, but accept them and learn from them.

Luke learned not to snowplow...and so should we.

~QGJ