Hello, dear bloggers, friends and...well, in some ways, family. My vode.

I decided to take a break from cleaning on my spring break and blog for a bit. First of all, happy and blessed Easter to all of you!

And now, the reason I'm here.

My favorite Star Wars episode is Episode V. Not because we see our first glimpse of Boba Fett or the other bad boy bounty hunters. Not because Leia finally gives in to her love for Han. No, I like it because something that is more important to me personally:

The heroes are portrayed in all their vulnerability, at their worst, at their wit's end.

In Episode IV, we see Luke and all the others picking off the baddies, not even needing to dodge blaster bolts from the finest Imperial troops the Empire has to offer (though that doesn't change much between the episodes). We see them destroying the Death Star, breaking part of the Imperial hold on the galaxy.

In Episode VI, the heroes defeat the Empire and rescue the galaxy from its tyranny forever (not talking about the expanded universe here).

In Episode V, we find the Rebels in so much trouble that they have to evacuate their (in my family's opinion) only base. They narrowly escape, suffering heavy losses, and we find that Luke has decided to go to Dagobah. He finds a little green booger named Yoda - turns out he becomes Luke's Jedi Master. Who'da thunk it? So Han, Leia and the others are now under the protection of Lando Calrissian, lady's man and downright smug when it comes to his looks. Luke runs off to save them from Vader and pays an arm (but not a leg) to find out Vader's his father.

Ouch. In more ways than one.

Of course, now that we know our heroes are vulnerable, we realize that they are even bigger heroes now than they were before, because they (even Chewie and the droids) are deeply human. They are more easily identified with. We know that, even in this galaxy far, far away, the heroes are, in more ways than one, us. It's a twisted notion, but then, so am I. Anyways, we are vulnerable here. They are vulnerable there. So, in a way, we are the same.

For those who read this entire thing, thank you. I admire your resilience.

Wherever the Force may guide you, God will bless you.

RR out.