Hello everyone in blogsville. I realized last week when I was writing my entry summarizing my trip to Chicago to see the Where Science Meets Imagination exhibit that it had been quite some time since I had written an entry not related to a trip, event, or costuming experience. In other words, I have not written an entry related to my thoughts and ponderings on the Star Wars universe since sometime before Celebration IV.

I have been thinking about this entry for some time now, having started writing it at one point but stopping completely because I did not like the direction it was taking. So, I took a break from it...a longer-than-expected break at that...and decided that it was now time to give this another try.

Several months back, I was watching the movie Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, when a line spoken by Dumbledore to Harry struck me as so very appropriate to the Prequel era of our beloved saga. It really got me to thinking how things would have turned out differently if Obi-Wan had uttered these words to Anakin...how the GFFA would have fared had Anakin listened to Obi-Wan instead of what to his own thoughts/fears and to Palpatine.

By now you are probably wondering to which line I am referring. Well, this line would be...**Dark and difficult times lie ahead. Soon we must all choose between what is right and what is easy**. Kind of chilling, huh? The first several times I saw Goblet of Fire, I paid little attention to this particular line. For some reason, this one time I noticed the line and was struck with the idea to put it in a blog...and have struggled with it since.

I am not going to get into the nitty-gritty details of the Harry Potter series, but those of us who know the story know what path he chose...he chose to fight, to take the more difficult road. He trusted Dumbledore to help him down the right path to do what must be done.

The same cannot be said for Anakin, however ...he chose the easier, more seductive path of the Dark Side. For some reason he did not fully trust Obi-Wan, or himself for that matter, to guide him through these difficult times...he decided to listen to his fears and the promises Palpatine made to him. He let his fears and insecurities take over his rationality to the point he refused to stay patient long enough to accomplish his goals/desires the *right* way...the Jedi way.

At the same time Anakin was engulfed in his personal turmoil, the galaxy was undergoing a turmoil of its own...created by none other than Palpatine himself. Residents of the GFFA were looking to their leader for guidance, trusting in his judgment. Only a few select Senators, including Padmé, were willing to fight for Democracy, for a peaceful resolution to the war. The others, however, were willing to go along with whatever Palpatine decided was best for the galaxy...and we all know where that got them

They (the Senators), like Anakin, were willing to take the quick and easy path, with the gravest of results: the dark times had arrived and would engulf the galaxy for the next twenty-plus years. Luckily, Luke, one of two beacons of hope for the galaxy, was able to overcome his temptations and turned the tide back to the Light and saved the galaxy from those dark and difficult times.

Like our heroes from the GFFA, we all face dark and difficult times at various points in our lives. Sometimes we take the more difficult route and work through them, while at other times we may take the easier route and give in to the temptation. If these easier routes lead us further down that dark path, we hopefully are able to overcome this, learn from our choices/mistakes, and use the lessons from these experiences the next time we are faced with a difficult situation. Sometimes we can work through these situations ourselves, but, most of the time we need support and guidance from mentors and friends. Maybe that is why Luke was successful where Anakin was not...the strong presence of mentors and friends. At least that is what I like to think.

Would things have turned out differently in the GFFA had Anakin taken the time to listen to what Obi-Wan, Yoda, and the others had to say rather than giving in to his fears/insecurities and the promises uttered by Palpatine? If Anakin had had a mentor he truly trusted, as Harry did, would darkness have enveloped the galaxy for two decades? I tend to think things would have been greatly different...in many ways.

However, I want to hear what you all have to think about this before I reveal my thoughts...would things have been different; how would things have been different? Does having a good/strong mentor and great friends help one to overcome the difficult times, the darkness?

I hope everyone is having a safe and happy Holiday season so far. I look forward to reading about what you all have to say

May the Force Be With You...Always